Due to the onset of a violent war fought between the Syrian government, alongside its allies, and different opposing groups, in 2011, 9 million Syrian citizens became internally displaced resulting in the current Syrian refugee crisis (cite). Although some are still stranded in their war-torn country, many have escaped the violence and fled their homes to seek asylum in different parts of the world including the United States. This created a major foreign policy issue that not only faced America’s previous administration, but still challenges our current one. There have been various proposed action plans, ranging from liberal ideals to realist ones. While liberals believe that helping refugees is morally imperative, realists conclude that accepting Syrians who are seeking sanctuary from war jeopardizes America’s stability and safety. Through the use of the levels of analysis approach, we can view different perspectives relating to this issue. At the individual level, former President Obama, who supports the massive influx of refugees, is motivated by …show more content…
In other words, each country must fend for itself which is one reason why realists argue against providing aid to Syrian refugees. Additionally, according to realist thought, our international system is anarchic, nothing guarantees a state's welfare, instead, states must prioritize themselves in an effort to keep their citizens safe (cite). This explains why a realist's approach to this issue is for America to not take on refugee responsibility. They believe that if we accept Syrian refugees we are sacrificing the safety of the U.S by guaranteeing an increase in terror. Instead, through self-help, we can ensure our own security resulting in