The Refugee Crisis : The Connotation Of The Refugee Crisis

Throughout the world, there is an estimate of about 65.3 million refugees that have either been forced out of their homes or chose to willingly escape the violence or corruption they faced in their homeland. Of those millions of people, only a small percentage are given the status of refugee as many nations have strict requirements and only allow a specific amount each year. This leads to an increase in the amount of illegal immigration as many are desperate to risk their lives to for a better one then they had back home. Even as refugees are given asylum, many often face difficulties such as discrimination due to the racial stereotypes that exist as a result of negative depictions in the news and media. Although nations have generally become more open to receiving and providing aid for a significant amount of refugees seeking asylum, people’s ideology of race and the misrepresentation of the media towards immigrants prevent an even larger amount of refugees from being accepted into society.

Through out the world and over the centuries, societies have welcomed frightened, weary strangers, the victims of persecution and violence. This humanitarian tradition of offering sanctuary is often now played on the television screens across the globe as war and large-scale persecution produce millions of refugees and internally displaced persons. At the start of 21st century, protecting refugees means maintaining solidarity with the worlds most threatened, while finding answers tot eh challenges confronting the international system that was created to do just that.

A refugee is a person who was forced to leave their country. Whether it be from warfare or natural disaster, their homes are no longer safe to live in, so they need to relocate elsewhere. Once someone sets foot on the journey of becoming a refugee, they become vulnerable and dependent with no sense of what the future will bring. In an attempt to accommodate them, first world countries with the resources necessary to assist these refugees, are struggling to determine whether or not they should step-in and help. Some argue that taking them in could come with excessive consequences, while others believe they could be assets. Although there may be a few consequences, they are outweighed by the benefits and undeniable severity of the situation.

The dilemma regarding the American refugee policy and America’s stance on refugees at this point in time is a challenging topic for many to discuss. Not only is this controversy affecting Americans, it is also hurting refugees in desperate need of our help. America needs to start handling the emerging refugee crisis by first working to remove the stereotype associated with refugees, then the U.S. needs to assess which refugee countries should (if any) actually be banned, and after accomplishing those-- America needs to work to help the countries in need by letting refugees in, and working to help the refugees live happily in their country of origin.

In the final draft I will expand on each of the issues, by looking into more specific examples of both what different European countries are doing policy wise, as well as what the sentiment is among the refugees in the different areas of Europe. To fully be able to understand the conditions the refugees are facing I will be using other scholars ethnography work; One of those works being Katerina Rozakou’s piece regarding the management of refugees in Greece. As a result of that knowledge I will be able to come to an accurate conclusion as to what course of action should be taken in Europe as a whole, to deal with this ongoing

The first immigrants to the United States were European Quakers that came over on The Mayflower with a quest for freedom from the restraints of Great Britain and the Catholic Church. They were seeking freedom from oppression and the opportunity to build a better life. These people - by definition - are immigrants or refugees. We are all essentially foreigners in the United States, but some of us claim this land as our own - more so than others - and feel that people are intruding upon our “Americanized” country. This phenomenon has turned into a full-fledged political debate that has been coined as a “Refugee Crisis” or “Immigration Issue”. This is not just in the United States. Many European countries are dealing with the same issues and their refugees are seeking asylum from the torturous acts of ISIS. The history of immigration, the difference between immigrants and refugees, how immigration and refugees can be viewed as a social issue, and specific refugee and immigration conflicts and resolutions are all important factors of deciding how The Immigration Issue and Refugee Crisis are categorized as a social issue.

Accepting refugees in Europe has become a highly controversial problem in the past few months. Without a doubt, a large number of lives could be saved due to this ethical action; however, there has been a significant rise in protesting refugees. We should consider carefully the advantages and disadvantages of such a substantial

Refugees “Today, more than 14 million men, women, and children have been forced to flee their homes, towns, and countries because they are afraid to stay” (Gevert, “Refugees: Who, Where, Why”). Refugees come from all over the world to seek protection to escape their country from war, poverty, disease and natural disasters. A refugee is a person who is forced their home because of a fear for their lives to stay.

In recent times, many countries have been encountered by the problems of refugees. Based on RP’s explanation (1982), the definition of a refugee is “the people who faced persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in particular social group and were outside their country of nationality.” At present, governments around the world have different attitudes towards refugees. For the sake of community safety, many countries have taken action to use the conservative policy. The Economist (2012) published that in Europe, Hungarian Orban government adopts an extremely conservative refugee policy that they totally do not accept refugees.

I think that the refugee crisis is very complicated. There are several factors that go into the idea of the US admitting more refugees. With the current terrorist threats, the bombing in Paris, the Minnesota mall attack, and the recent bombing in NYC (not yet confirmed if it is related to ISIS) the idea of letting more people into the US is hard to agree to. In addition, the US is struggling with the idea of immigration from Mexico, even though it has decreased.

In addition to the issue of national security, another factor that accounts for the controversy on the refugee crisis is the perplexing relationship between economic stability and the basic standards of humanity. Many Europeans are living under precarious conditions and thus, they lack the time and money to spare. Consequently, many Europeans think of Muslim migrants less as refugees but as “competitors with similar levels of prospects” (“Eastern Europe's Crisis of Compassion”). The concern over economic instability is also plays a role in the Turkish accession to the European Union (EU). Many Europeans are anxious about Turks immigrating to Europe in search of jobs when the unemployment rate in Europe is already so high. Moreover, Europeans

In this policy paper, I will be focusing on refugees and the laws, policies, and programs that affect them. As I analyze these policies I will compare policies from various countries, that have been created to achieve similar goals. Many countries accept refugees and have adopted and/or created laws to regulate them. The three countries that I will be analyzing are the United States of America, Germany, and Turkey. These three countries are unique in their characteristics and geographic locations but all face the same risks and circumstances as it relates to refugees.

The world is currently facing the highest human displacement levels ever recorded (UNHCR 0). According to data recorded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an astonishing 65.6 million (UNHCR 1) people around the world have been forced from their homes. This number includes 22.5 million refugees (UNHCR 1). In facing this so-called “refugee crisis,” it’s critical to understand important definitions. A refugee is legally defined as someone who has been externally displaced from and cannot return to their host country due to a “well-founded fear of persecution” (Refugees in international relations, p.5). In vernacular terms, refugees are often identified as people who are escaping “authoritarian regimes; conflict; human rights violations; large-scale

The term ‘refugee’ is often used in more terms then the expansion of its legal definition allows. A refugee generally includes all people who flee their homes to seek refuge from any kind of harm or threat of harm, such as war, civil strife, domestic violence, poverty or environmental collapse.However, the legal definition is narrower. The legal definition only applies to people who can prove they have a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, beliefs, ideals and opinion.These are free rights that should be obligated to every individual for example freedom of speech.

Since 2011, Syria has been engaged in a Civil War with protestors against the government and members of the extremist group ISIS, and approximately 7.6 million people have been displaced from their homes (usnews.com 2015). As the conflict destroys more homes and livelihoods each year, an increasing number of civilians have been forced to leave Syria and try to find safety elsewhere. Already a contentious issue, the Syrian refugee crisis has awakened tensions, both economic and social as debate erupts over what to do with the refugees.In response to the crisis, while some countries like Germany have pledged to help the refugees, (New Statesman 2015 1) only 2,340 have been admitted. Clearly, more needs to be done in order to help the refugees. Although there are economic and population concerns to be considered, the humanitarian conflict that faces the refugees and solutions already available are reason enough for Europe to increase the numbers of Syrian refugees allowed in.