Persuasive Essay On Syrian Refugees

The world is currently witnessing the biggest wave of mass migration since the Second World War. According to Patrick Kingsley, in 2015 and 2016, around 1.2 million people crossed the Mediterranean in dangerous and unsafe boats in the hope of reaching safety and a better life. In his book, ‘The New Odessy: The Story of Europe’s Refugee Crisis,’ he states that in the next two years another 3 million could follow. In spite of this, the UK government has announced that we will take only 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020, but according to Amnesty International, the UK has resettled just 2,898 Syrian refugees since the conflict began, which suggests it won’t happen. So why should Britain accept more refugees than they have already taken?

It is often

However, although it has been portrayed by the media that refugees are all just coming to the EU and are not going anywhere else, this is not the case as Turkey is hosting 1.9 million refugees, and Lebanon 1.1 million, which is far more than the 18,000 refugees the EU has suggested the European countries should take. Turkey and Lebanon are poverty stricken countries yet are still accommodating refugees - this is in direct contrast to Europe’s wealthiest countries such as the UK. However, Germany is even willing to accept more refugees than advised, haven already accepted more than any other country in the EU. Germany also has taken a moral stance to the crisis, as Angela Merkel illustrated: "If we now have to start apologizing for showing a friendly face in response to emergency situations, then that’s not my

It could be argued that refugees take peoples jobs and livelihood and the popular press often labels them ‘scroungers’ who want to live in Britain to claim benefits. However, many of these refugees are lone children. According to Save the Children, half of the world’s refugees are under the age of eighteen. In spite of this, 294 MPs blocked an amendment that would have meant the UK taking in unaccompanied refugee children from Syria who had already arrived in Europe. Perhaps, as David Cameron stated, this is so they do not have to make the dangerous journey oversea to Britain. Furthermore, there is a notion that refugees, in particular Syrian refugees, should be ‘held at source’ until the war in Syria is over and the country recovers. This is a view shared by the prime minister, who also states that: “I don’t think there is an answer that can be achieved simply by taking more and more refugees.” However, these MPs have been criticised by charities and refugee groups for not doing enough to help. The charity ‘Citizens UK,’ have identified 150 lone children in the refugee camp in Calais with relatives in the UK, but only 20 have been brought to Britain since January. Many believe that refugees are linked to terrorism and cite this as a reason for not accepting them into their country. This has been disputed by the UN official responsible for counter terrorism, Ben Emmerson QC who states that: