preview

Syrian Refugees Research Paper

Good Essays

The world is currently facing the highest human displacement levels ever recorded (UNHCR 0). According to data recorded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an astonishing 65.6 million (UNHCR 1) people around the world have been forced from their homes. This number includes 22.5 million refugees (UNHCR 1). In facing this so-called “refugee crisis,” it’s critical to understand important definitions. A refugee is legally defined as someone who has been externally displaced from and cannot return to their host country due to a “well-founded fear of persecution” (Refugees in international relations, p.5). In vernacular terms, refugees are often identified as people who are escaping “authoritarian regimes; conflict; human rights violations; large-scale …show more content…

The Syrian Civil Conflict, which is causing a majority of Syrian displacement, officially began on March 15, 2011. Since then, according to the Syrian Center for Policy Research, there have been over 470,000 casualties (Human Rights Watch) as a result of attacks between the Syrian government; backed by Russia and Iran; and Syrian rebels, primarily supported by Turkey, the United States, and Jordan (BBC 1). The United States has been involved both directly and indirectly in assisting Syrian citizens and resettling Syrian refugees; generously supplying food, shelter, clean drinking water, and supporting the United Nations and other international organizations that allocate humanitarian services towards the Syrian people (State.gov). Recently, under the Obama administration, over 10,000 Syrian refugees were admitted into the United States (NY Times). States in close regional proximity to Syria are accepting a majority of refugees, including Turkey (2.8 million refugees), Pakistan (1.6 million), and Lebanon (1 million). Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Uganda, Germany, and Chad also host large numbers of refugees (UNHCR

Get Access