Syrian Refugee Crisis

On Saturday, Syrian government forces—supported by Russia—assaulted the city of Aleppo, located in Northern Syria. Aleppo is the most populous city in Syria and has been a focal point of the Syrian Civil War. The city has been bitterly contested between rebel and loyalist forces since 2012. As the war has dragged on, neither side has been able to make decisive gains, and the situation was further complicated when the Islamic State became militarily involved in the war. However, Russia has intensified its support for the al-Assad regime in recent months, and this support seems to have tipped the balance in the loyalists’ favour. Aleppo is expected to be completely under government control within the coming weeks if the military continues its renewed offensive.

However, this constant fighting has done nothing but aggravate the refugee situation. As the government continues its assault on rebel-occupied areas, the flow of refugees fleeing Aleppo has increased accordingly. The increase threatens to exacerbate already high tensions in Europe, where the majority of the refugees are fleeing. So far, Turkey has received the brunt of the increased refugee wave due to its proximity to Aleppo; Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, estimates an additional 55,000 Syrians have been displaced, and the local governor, Suleyman Tapsiz, stated that 35,000 have already reached the Oncupinar border, crossing between the two nations.

The refugee influx will most likely further sour relations between Turkey and Russia, Syria’s primary supporter. Just last week, Russia accused Turkey of amassing forces on the border with the intention of invading Syria, an accusation Turkey denies. Tensions have been on edge since Turkey shot down a Russian bomber in Syrian territory last year in November.

Since the beginning of the civil war, a staggering six million Syrians are estimated to have fled their homes in search of refuge elsewhere. Of these, the largest group of around four million flee to nearby countries, such as Lebanon, Jordan, and especially Turkey. However, around a million have fled to European countries and beyond. The European Union has been split on how to accommodate the refugees. Many nations, especially those in Eastern Europe, have attempted to close their borders, having been overwhelmed by the number of refugees that have already passed. Countries like France, Germany, and Sweden have welcomed the refugees with open arms. Elsewhere in the world, other countries have stepped up their refugee commitments as well. Here in Canada, our new Prime Minister Trudeau promised to accept 25,000 refugees by the end of 2015, though so far, only around 10,000 have been settled.

Though there are destinations that are accepting of the refugees, a major problem is getting to these destinations. Most of the refugees are arriving in Europe by boat, coming from one of several routes. The most popular routes are Turkey-Greece and North Africa-Italy, though some arrive through Spain at Strait of Gibraltar. This journey is very hazardous, due to both the sheer number of refugees and the questionable safety conditions of the boats they are traveling on. A significant number of the refugees and migrants have drowned on sinking boats on their way to safer shores.

However, integrating refugees is not all sunshine and rainbows. Around the turn of the year, there had been a disturbing number of reports of sexual assault coming from the German city of Cologne and elsewhere, supposedly being committed by Syrian nationals. This has sparked division and unrest over the open-arms refugee policies of the affected countries, leading to political upheaval and instability. Even though Germany’s Chancellor Merkel is still committed to the refugee cause, disagreement from German citizens is increasing with regards to immigration and refugee asylum. In many European countries, public opinion is turning against refugee immigration. In some countries, the refugees themselves have felt that they have not been treated with proper decency and have started their own riots and protests for better treatment. Some of the refugees are desperate to reach a better home and have attempted to illegally board ships crossing from the French port of Calais to the United Kingdom, causing significant slowdowns in shipping and commerce between the two countries.

The Syrian refugee crisis is the largest migration event in recent history, and the world is buckling under the strain. The civil war appears to be entering its final stages, but its conclusion is still unclear. Until then, and for many years after, the world will have to find a long-term solution to the plight of the Syrian refugees.