United States should be more welcoming to refugees
A world crisis is washing itself upon shore – literally.
The photo of a drowned Syrian boy is one that will be immortalized across the globe. As Syria continues to rage in violence, it’s about time the United States took a lesson from its international neighbors and opened its borders to displaced Syrian refugees. By airlifting even just a limited number of Syrians to the United States, we are not only benefitting refugees, but we are also benefitting the rest of the world and America itself.
According to The Guardian, half of Syria’s population has been displaced since demonstrations against Assad’s regime began in 2011. This is equivalent to relocating 160 million Americans from their homes.
Syrians are doing everything they can to evacuate themselves from their dangerous conditions, even if that means dying in the process. Let’s also not forget that 1 in every 5 Syrians lives in poverty, and a Syrian’s average life expectancy is now only 56 years old.
Giving Syrians a safer option for leaving their homeland will undoubtedly improve these grim statistics.
All people, no matter their ethnicity or situation, deserve the chance at a fulfilling life that is more than trying to survive another day.
Because the U.S. has yet to take decisive action, Europe and countries neighboring Syria have already received overwhelming numbers of refugees seeking refuge. As people rush into these areas, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to manage the overflowing borders.
Dispersing the refugees evenly throughout many nations eases any burden of financially supporting all of these refugees and could potentially generate better relationships among accommodating countries. Perhaps lending a helping hand in this situation will prevent future conflicts like the terror in Syria.
Paying for airlifts and resettlement support for thousands of refugees sounds costly, but choosing to intervene will ultimately boost our own economy.
History and research shows that immigration provides increased wages to foreigners and neutrally or even positively affects native workers. Also, the prices for services offered by immigrants decreases, and, according to Vox, more women are able to enter the workforce.
Furthermore, helping refugees in this capacity is less violent and expensive than using military tactics in the Syrian battleground. If making humanitarian efforts has nothing but positive effects for all parties involved, weighing this issue seems absurd.
This political, economic and moral debate is one that requires immediate attention. Syria’s struggles are not fading away and, in ways, are escalating. We must use our roles as worldly citizens and insist on accepting Syrian refugees, the sooner the better.
Instead of seeing pictures of human life succumbing to hostility, let’s adopt a plan that promotes pictures of prosperity and peace.
