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Following the United Nations response to the crisis in Syria, numerous conflicts have
emerged between different countries and factions within those countries. The gulf
countries of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain have
not offered any resettlement opportunities. In addition, a plethora of other high income
countries such as Singapore, Russia, Japan and South Korea have also refused to offer
asylum.[5] In addition, conflict between the United States and Russia have risen over
disputes on how involved the countries should be in the conflict. On September 28,
2016, the United States administration threatened to discontinue joint work with Russia
on the Syrian conflict unless the country agreed to discontinue the current assault on
the city of Aleppo.[6] There have been disagreements on whether or not what some
perceive as a humanitarian responsibility is worth resorting to interventionism within the
ongoing crisis.
Table of Contents
1. History of Syrian Civil War
2. Safety
2.1 Effectiveness of Background Checks
2.2 Effects on European countries
2.2.1 Turkey
2.2.2 Lebanon
3. Interventionism
4. Religion
5. Cost Efficiency
HistoryoftheSyrianCivilWar
The Syrian civil war initially began as a series of peaceful
anti-government protests and demonstrations in March of
2011. Those protests began to escalate following the
Syrian governments retaliation with violent force, which
acted as the catalyst for armed opposition groups of
citizens to begin fighting back. In the following July, the
Free Syrian Army was organized and many disgruntled
civilians began to join in efforts to overthrow president
Bashar al-Assad..[7]
While the United States and its allies have repeatedly
Syrian president Bashar al-Assad
called for president Assad to leave office, Russia has
remained loyal to its ally and supports his continuation in (Photo Credit: alwaght.com)
power. In September of 2015, the upper house of the
Russian parliament motioned to grant President Vladimir Putin the permission to deploy
the Russian air force and launch air strikes in Syria. Russias defense stated that they
exclusively targeted the military equipment, ammunition and fuel supplies, and the
communication facilities of the terrorist organization ISIS. Syrian activists have claimed
that those attacks have affected people not associated with the organization, and that
the warplanes have affected areas including Rastan, Zafaraneh and Talbiseh. [8]
Disagreements both within and outside of Syria continue to emerge between different
ethnic groups, secular and religious factions, and those that hold opposing perspectives
on how to best stabilize the middle east and the rest of the world.
Safety
Effectiveness of Background Checks
Following multiple terrorist attacks in Paris, some American citizens have expressed
concerns of a terrorist slipping through the vetting process for Syrian refugees by posing
as someone seeking asylum. In response, United States government officials have
insisted that the background checks that refugees undergo are some of the most
effective conceived by the country. Refugees from Syria are said to be subject to
additional layers of security measures that are not normally required. Jana Mason, who
is a senior adviser to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has stated
that of all the categories of persons entering the U.S., these refugees are the single
most heavily screened and vetted.[9]
The vetting process came under strict scrutiny following the discoverance of two
refugees residing in Kentucky that were charged with terrorist activities that were
presumed to be connected to the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. .[9] Despite the reported
high success rates of background checks in the United States, opponents to the system
argue that it is impossible to properly screen people that previously resided in a country
that was war-torn and has very few reliable criminal databases to check. Approximately
half of the governors in the United States have threatened to close off access of
refugees to their states over fear of inadequate vetting procedures that they think could
allow violent extremists within their borders .[10]
showed that 70% of them believed that the Syrians constituted a security threat, while
over three-fifths of the entire population of Turkey claimed that they were detrimental to
public order and peace wherever they settled. [11]
Turkish proponents of accepting Syrian refugees take a staunch anti-Assad stance and
argue that it is the states humanitarian obligation to provide asylum to those who need
it. They encourage their government to mitigate the hostility between civilians and
refugees by introducing integration programs and policies. [11]
Lebanon
Lebanon is currently hosting more than 1.1
million Syrian refugees. It has the worlds
largest number of refugees per capita with
one in four individuals residing within the
borders being a refugee. Since the beginning
of 2015, access to the country by those
fleeing Syria has become nearly impossible
as a result of regulations enforced by the
government. The European Commission has
expressed concern for the deteriorating
quality of living conditions for the refugees
A group of Syrian refugees seeking asylum in
resettled there.[12]
Lebanon. (Photo Credit: AsiaNews.it)
In areas such as Akkar, the security along the
border has made the delivery of assistance
challenging. In August of 2014, fights broke out in Arsal, and that became a turning point
for the treatment of refugees. It led to much more restrictive policies along with police
raids and restrictions of movement. Because the fees for becoming a Lebanese citizen
are so high, many refugees have gone undocumented, which has raised security
concerns for many..[12]
Interventionism
Religion
Conflicts have arisen in the United
States over whether or not the
predominant religious practices of
Syrian refugees should be taken
into account in determining their
admission into the country. The
majority of Syrian refugees are
Sunni Muslims, who comprise
93% of the refugees present
within the U.S.[15] Republican
Syrian refugee holds her child while wearing a
traditional hijab (Photo Credit:
presidential candidate Donald J.
relevantmagazine.com)
Trump called for a ban on all
Muslims entering the United
States until defense personnel could figure out the nature of the conflict. [16]
Proponents of accepting refugees have argued that it is the countrys humanitarian duty
to help those in need regardless of their religious affiliation. It has also been stated that
profiling someone based on their religious views would be nearly impossible and
unconstitutional. Opponents perceive the practices of predominately Islamic cultures as
being antithetical to western values, particularly in terms of the treatment of women and
homosexuals.
CostEfficiency
The total amount of financial humanitarian aid from the United States is now more than
$5.9 billion dollars. The U.S. is the largest donor of humanitarian aid for the Syrian
crisis.[17] Syrian refugees, unlike immigrants that come from other areas, are able to
immediately receive a range of social welfare benefits from the U.S. federal
government. The Center for Immigration Studies determined that the average cost per
refugee over five years would be $64,370.[18]
Proponents of accepting Syrian refugees have argued that the United States has spent
larger amounts of money on projects that they perceive as less demanding and that our
our humanitarian duties should be prioritized over the potential cost. Opponents have
argued that it is financially unsustainable and that the sum of money should be spent on
domestic issues. There have also been concerns over how many refugees will continue
to remain in the welfare state after prolonged stay within the U.S and how that could
affect the economy as a whole.