Syrians and Iraqis are fleeing their homelands by the thousands, Middle Eastern refugee camps are exploding in size, and Europe is scrambling to accommodate more and more asylum seekers each day. As CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/11/world/syria-refugee-crisis-when-war-displa…) puts it, “Humanity has never seen such displacement. Ever.” Indeed, the world is in the middle of a refugee crisis, and it’s bad. But how did it all begin?
The immediate history of this crisis can be traced to the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011. After decades of oppression under strict dictatorial rule, civilians across the Middle East sparked protests demanding justice. In Syria (http://syrianrefugees.eu/?page_id=163), where President Bashar Al-Assad has been in power since 2000, security forces retaliated against these movements by opening fire on protesters, launching an ever-intensifying cycle of violence between the Syrian populace and its government. Not surprisingly, Syrian nationals soon began fleeing their homes, and haven’t stopped doing so since. Iraqis partook in a similar mass exodus during the summer of 2014: After ISIS captured the 2nd largest city, Mosul, and announced its “caliphate,” (http://abcnews.go.com/WN/fullpage/isis-trail-terror-isis-threat-us-25053190) or the erasure of state borders under ISIS rule, many Iraqi nationals were eager to make tracks.
Displaced people will typically first pursue a refugee camp in a neighboring country. Such camps, while crucial for temporarily shielding innocents from immediate danger, are not sustainable places to live for long stretches of time. For starters, disease spreads quickly in such close quarters, and vaccinations for such large populations are often hard to obtain. Maintaining a sufficient supply of food and water is an everyday challenge for host countries. Nevertheless, Middle Eastern and European refugee camps are currently overflowing. Their conditions, although meager, far surpass those of native countries characterized by oppression and genocide.
Consumed by desperation, many refugees continue beyond these camps into Europe. Whether by land or by sea, the journey to Europe is a perilous one. Smugglers often charge a hefty price for their services, as the risk of being caught is high. Nevertheless, many refugees take the gamble: In August, an abandoned truck (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/28/more-than-70-dead-austria-m…) containing the bodies of 71 refugees was found on the side of the road in Austria. It is believed that these people were being smuggled across the Austro-Hungarian border deeper into Europe. Their decision to be crammed into in a vent-free, windowless truck with dozens of others for a slim chance at freedom conveys the sheer despair of the situation.
Another tragic event – more specifically, a photo (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/world/europe/syria-boy-drowning.html) – recently stirred up emotions worldwide. This photo shows three-year-old refugee Aylan Kurdi, lifeless and washed up on a beach in Turkey. Deeper investigations into the boy’s situation reveal that his family was attempting to travel by inflatable raft from their home in Turkey to Greece when the vessel capsized. The disheartening photo of Aylan provoked sympathy as well as outrage in countries across the world.
European countries are responding to the influx of refugees in different ways. Germany, one of the most economically formidable nations in the Eurozone, has been particularly welcoming: Chancellor Angela Merkel has agreed to allow up to 800,000 refugees to apply for asylum by the end of the year. She, along with head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/10/world/europe/europe-migrant-crisis-jea…), is urging her fellow heads of state to accept more refugees. Certainly in light of recent events, European nations are being more generous with their grants of asylum. Britain and France each recently promised to accept 20,000 refugees annually, and the U.S. (http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/09/08/438512031/u-s-weighs-offering-more-help-as-migrants-arrive-in-europe) pledged to take in 10,000 by the end of the year as well. While these steps toward sheltering more displaced persons are crucial, they may not be proactive enough. Only time will tell if Europe and its allies can sustain the surges of refugees that arrive each day.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/15/us/immigrant-refugee-definition/
http://syrianrefugees.eu/?page_id=163
http://www.vox.com/2015/9/4/9261971/syria-refugee-war
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/11/world/syria-refugee-crisis-when-war-displaces-half-a-country/
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/10/world/europe/europe-migrant-crisis-jean-claude-juncker.html
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/fullpage/isis-trail-terror-isis-threat-us-25053190
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/world/europe/syria-boy-drowning.html
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/28/more-than-70-dead-austria-migrant-truck-tragedy