Comparison Of The Syrian Civil War And Refugee Crisis

The Syrian Civil War and Refugee Crisis greatly affects the world and is a major problem today that does not have a solid solution. The Syrian Civil war began in the year of 2011, when multiple peaceful protests broke out with frustration of the country’s path; violence was used to quell the protests: “the Syrian government responded by arresting and killing hundreds of protestors and their family members” (History.com), this action furthered the frustration within the country. Misconduct of the government, problems of religion, a lack of basic rights, a struggling economy, and a severe drought created the Syrian Civil War. Civil Wars tear a country apart and are very controversial; the Syrian Civil War is no exception. Since the beginning

Syrians experience ill treatment, reduced freedom of expression, and sometimes torture. At the beginning of the war a case took place where debatably all three of these issues were displayed: “In March of 2011, a group of teens and children were arrested and tortured for writing anti-government graffiti that was thought to be inspired by the Arab Spring rebellion” (History.com), it was one of the events that jumpstarted many more protests, and consequently the war. Sometimes, citizens get trapped inside cities or areas that are being fought over by two separate forces, these are called besieged areas. Many of those who are stuck in besieged areas starve to death because leaving the area is very dangerous, “About 400,000 Syrians are trapped in besieged areas” (Melvin), all citizens in besieged areas are at a high risk of death by starvation or military action. However, according to multiple sources, the government has instilled starvation as a war tactic to instill fear in people and generate power for themselves. This does not sit well with the United Nations, who says doing so is a war crime. Another violation discussed by the UN is the governments use of chemical weapons; likewise, ISIS has been found to have used chemical weapons. In 2015 ISIS used sulfur mustard gas, producing symptoms of body convulsion, forming from mouths, blurry vision and suffocation to those affected (Kimball).

Countries surrounding Syria such as Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey have seen a giant influx of refugees crossing into their borders. European countries like Italy and Greece have seen refugees coming from across the Mediterranean into their country while other European nations like Germany are accepting the immigrants with open arms. Germany has dozens of refugee centers welcoming the Syrians; however, many flee to neighboring countries out of convenience and a shorter distance of travel. Neighboring countries that take these immigrants aren’t doing it completely on their own will, but they have received funding from many first world countries, with the US leading the way. Although there are lots of funds for these camps, some are in bad shape, Greece hosts “nearly 60,000 refugees in deteriorating conditions” (Ignatieff), and many others are struggling to keep up with the intake of refugees. Refugees bring new culture and life to many countries, but lots of violence takes place in refugee camps, and “Terrorist incidents in Europe have made European citizens more reluctant to accept refugees” (Ignatieff), people view refugees as dangerous and a threat to their country. Many Europeans have shown dissatisfaction in refugees’ effect on the job market and the economy. Because of the downsides of accepting immigrants, many nations are taking action to slow the flow of refugees