Refugees: an Obvious Argument

Refugees: should we be taking them; a division in UK politics. 

The current influx of migrants into the European Union is fuelled by a dire humanitarian crisis in Syria, as well as political instability in northern Africa. Over 4 million refugees have already fled Syria, a country gripped by a multifaceted war that has killed over 250 000 people in its four year and a half year duration. 

Background

The war in Syria was triggered by pro-democracy protests against President Assad’s totalitarian rule erupting in 2011, fuelled by the Arab Spring. After government forces opened fire on the predominantly peaceful protests hundreds of thousands of Syrians entered into the conflict, expanding well beyond the capital of Damascus. The opposition to the state became armed and this was the beginning of a long, dangerous war. But this is not a war of merely a pro democracy majority against a sectarian state, it is far more nuanced than that, something that has made western intervention or assistance so much more difficult. The war against Assad has been marred by the rise of IS militants, also fighting against his government, meaning that the resistance is no longer as simple as it was at first. The boundaries between pro democracy rebels and those who want revolution for other means is furthered by a UN investigation that found that war crimes had been committed on both sides of the civil war. 

Refugees

For the civilians of Syria, be they on one or another side, whether they were prosperous or not before the war, what counts is their escape from the indiscriminate fighting. Their towns and cities have been destroyed around them, jobs have gone and little infrastructure remains. Their priority, as anyone’s would be, is saving their lives and the lives of their surviving relatives. This means moving. Earlier in the war people remained in Syria but as the war moved on the fighting caught up with them and forced out of the country. 

Most of these refugees have crossed the borders into neighbouring Middle Eastern countries. Namely Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey which between them have taken over 3 500 000 refugees. Additionally of these refugees have moved on from Turkey into the European Union by whatever route that they can.

This is wha has brought the Syrian war not just up to Europe’s doorstep but over the threshold. The Syrian refugees have moved from being a foreign affairs problem to a home affairs problem. One by one European countries have had to decide what part they are going to play in response to this problem unprecedented in modern times. 

Britain’s Role

David Cameron has said that Britain will take 20 000 refugees by 2020, in other words 4 000 a year. Germany, on the other hand, has said that it can take up to half a million migrants a year. This announcement by the Prime Minister has been widely criticised as being too small by Judges across England, in addition to senior figures in the church of England and other prominent figures. Is this a sufficient response by the UK? 4 000 people is significantly less than a large cruise liner.