Running Head: SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS

Literature Review: Syrian Refugee Crisis

Luis Herrera
April 2016
University of Texas at El Paso

SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS

Abstract
Since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011 created by a distrust in the Assad
government by several rebel groups, there has been a great increase in violence in the area. The
conflict which involves numerous rebel groups, terrorist organizations, and coalitions has proved
complicated and difficult to understand. The violence created by this war has caused millions of
displaced people to move to other countries as refugees. The large number of refugees have
many world leaders worried as to how this problem can be faced. With the growing number of
people leaving Syria increase each year, the crisis will only become more significant. This
literary review will discuss the Syrian conflict and the refugee crisis by examining different
sources that describe multiple aspects such as how the war is causing the refugee crisis, the
responses from several nations, the security concerns that come with accepting refugees, and
what refugees go through once they are relocated.

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Literature Review: Syrian Refugee Crisis

According to the United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), there is more
than 4 million refugees coming from Syria that decide to migrate to neighboring or distant
countries (Updated March, 2016). Since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, the
refugee crisis has become one of the most important issues on the world stage. The long
complicated history and violence in Syria has been the cause for the crisis. The Syrian president,
Bashar al-Assad has been accused of killing his own civilians by many nations including the
United Nations such as the U.S and Great Britain. The most notably incident was the sarin gas
attack in 2013 which killed thousands of civilians. After this attack, nations decided not to use
military action against the government but it did create and increase anger within Rebel groups
fighting for independence. Rebel groups such as the Free Syrian Army have been trying to
topple the Syrian government for their actions. This conflict alone has produced much violence
in Syria. Now with terrorist groups such as the Islamic State involved, it has only amplified the
violence. Coalitions, in recent years, have been bombing targets in Syria and the surrounding
area in order to contain the terrorist groups. According to Michael B Kelley from the Business
Insider, there are dozens of different organizations and nations playing a part in the Syrian
conflict (October, 2013). This mix of different groups and faction turned out to be a recipe for
complications and violence. In effect of the violence, many families were forced to leave from
their homes and move to a safer place.
Despite recent failed efforts for a cease-fire, which is just a temporary pause in fighting,
there seems to be no end in the bombings and violence brought by the war. The Syrian conflict
has turned out to be one of the biggest humanitarian crisis in recent history. Currently the biggest

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contributors are countries surrounding Syria such as Jordan and Lebanon. Turkey alone has
received more than 2 million refugees as of March 2016 according to the UNHCR. The refugee
crisis has branched out several problems that are now being faced by many nations such as how
to respond to refugees trying to enter the country. Other problems include fear of terrorist
infiltration through the refugee process and bad living conditions inside some of the refugee
camps. In order to truly understand the crisis and potential outcomes there must be a review of
these four essential questions:
1. What is currently happening in the Syrian conflict?
2. What are different nations doing in regards to the refugee crisis?
3. What are the security concerns and how are they being confronted?
4. What do refugees face once they are relocated?
By answering each of these questions, the complications of Syrian Civil War and the refugee
crisis will become clearer and what refugees go through in their process can be observed.
What Is Currently Happening in the Syrian Conflict?
In order to understand the current situation in Syria, there must be a general
understanding of the nations history. In 1961 the Syrian Arab Republic was established after
their separation with Egypt. In effect to this establishment, Syria lost an area known as Golan
Heights to Israel. This caused a long and permanent distrust between the two nations. The Syrian
government decided to align themselves with the anti-Israeli Hezbollah which is a jihadi
government organization. The socialistic Hafez al-Assad took power in 1970 by over throwing
the previous leader. After Hafez al-Assads death in 2000, his son Bashar al-Assad took over the
nation. Bashar al-Assad was immediately more aggressive in the use of his military than his

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father. In 2010, anti-government protests and riots broke out in the Middle-East mostly due to
the release of anger in young people because of the lack of economic opportunity and
infrastructure. Syria was geographically in the center of this period of time known as the Arab
Spring. Within the next year protests and riots broke out within every major city in Syria. The
Syrian government tried to ease the situation by meeting some standards of the protestors but
violence did to ease up. The Central Intelligence Agencys World Factbook states that the Assad
governments use of violence to quell unrest and widespread armed opposition activity has led to

extended clashes between government forces and oppositionists (Updated March 2016). These
events ultimately created anti-Assad rebel groups such as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and alNusra, an al-Qaeda known affiliate in Syria. According to Elizabeth OBagy, research analyst for
the Institute for the Study of War, the FSA was formed by a group of defected soldiers from the
Syrian Armed Forces and quickly gained military and financial support from the United States
government and other nations in order topple the abusive Assad Regime (March 2013, pg. 9). In
2011, with the creation of organizations such as these, bloody battles had begun with the Syrian
military what is now known as the Syrian Civil War.
Now with terrorist groups entering the situation, the Islamic State being the major one,
the Syrian conflict had become much more complicated. The Islamic States intentions is also to
bring down the Syrian government but insists on building a new state based on radical Islamic
beliefs not just in Syria but throughout the world. While they proved a security issue to multiple
nations, coalitions formed in order to combat the Islamic State mainly through airstrikes. There
are also many conflicting objectives within the coalitions themselves such as Russian support of
the Assad Regime. As Evan Tyner stated in his article for the Journal of Terrorism Research,
This study (Syrian crisis) therefore represents a continuation of the rapidly advancing field of

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the micro-dynamics of intra-state conflict (Feb 2016, V. 7, pg. 54), there are many different
parts to the Syrian crisis which complicates what different nations and groups believe what is
good or bad. With terrorist bombings and false airstrike targets, the Syrian civilians were pulled
into the conflict by the loss of life and their homes. There has been an effort to send
humanitarian supplies to these civilians but it has proved difficult because they are sometimes
intercepted by some of the groups in the area. Millions of civilians, with nothing to lose, where
either forced or decided to leave Syria in order to escape the violence. The United Nations have
decided to take charge in easing the crisis by relocating these refugees. Despite many efforts for
a cease-fire, any groups do not adhere to the regulations. With the growing threat of the Islamic
State and battles between the Syrian military and rebel groups, there seems to be no end to the
violence causing the increase of displaced people coming from the region.
What Are Different Nations Doing in Regards to the Refugee Crisis?

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As the figure above from the UNHCR describes, countries surrounding Syria are
receiving the most refugees with Turkey being the top with close to 2 million. According to
CNNs Michael Martinez, Jordan and Lebanon follows Turkey in number of refugees taken in
(September, 2015). Martinez also describes that while these nations are doing as much as they
can, wealthier Middle-Eastern nations such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
(UAE), which can receive close to 2 million refugees, have not taken in any Syrians. These states
are taking much scrutiny because most are a part of the coalition airstrikes that destroy much of
the homes and towns.
Thousands of refugees also try to make their way to some European nations. Hundreds of
them have died trying to reach these countries. For example, it is becoming common for refugees
trying to reach Greece to drown because they have inefficient boats or rafts. Many have also died
by just trying to reach their destination by foot. Nations such as Greece are trying to at least
temporarily stop the flow of refugees through legislature and policies. Sweden and Germany are
the European nations currently taking in the most refugees out of the European countries. The
United States have taken in approximately 2,000 refugees since the start of the Syrian conflict
but the White House plans on taking in much more in upcoming years. The US State Department
is most active in trying to send aid and to help the Syrian refugees.
What Are the Security Concerns and How Are They Being Confronted?
One main reason as to why countries such as the United States and Great Britain are
involved in the fighting against terrorist groups such as the Islamic State is fear of these groups
killing innocent civilians in their own borders. It is an attempt to contain and eradicate the
problem of terrorism. With the acceptance of refugees into a nation, a door opens for individuals
with terroristic intentions to enter the nation and carry out attacks. Many world leaders have

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recognized this national security issue and have decided that this risk outweighs the need to
accept refugees and have decided to close off their borders. Leaders in the United States, such as
the Governors of Texas and Alabama, have also tried to influence the White House that receiving
refugees would have repercussions on the American people. These threats are real and are being
carefully examined by politicians and media alike. According to a Euronews article by Kateryna
Khinkulova, one of the attackers in the November 2015 Paris attacks was considered to have
entered Europe through Greece posing as a Syrian refugee (Nov 2015). Despite this, several
nations, including European, still feel obligated to help the Syrian people. These nations believe
that the refugee screening process is the best way to prevent these attacks while taking in the
displaced people.
In order to filter out true refugees from those with the intent to do harm, they must go
through multiple applications, extensive background checks, and interviews with several
government agencies. Alex Altman from Time Magazine describes this process as one of the
most difficult vetting processes for any group trying to enter the United States (Nov 2015). The
process begins the with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. The UNHCR
receives many applications and conduct background checks and interviews with the refugees
then if they are cleared, they are referred to a certain country. In the United States, once these
refugees are referred, they go through another round of screenings with government groups such
as the Central Intelligence Agency, State Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The whole process can take a family of refugees about two years to complete. Altman also
elaborates that since terrorist threats are becoming more serious as years go by, screening
processes will only get more rigorous.
What Do Refugees Face Once They Are Relocated?

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After spending years in the middle of a violent war, relocated refugees must adapt to a
completely new environment as discussed in a Fusion article by Casey Tolan (March 2016).
Many of the refugees that arrive to a new home arrive psychologically scarred since many saw
the violence first hand. Tolan describes the fact that some families have witnessed their children
or siblings killed in the war. It would be difficult for anyone to live in a new environment after
witnessing things such as this. Furthermore, there is usually a language barrier since most of
these people do not speak the language of their host country. Altman from Time Magazine also
discusses that most of the refugees are children. Usually these children fall behind a few years
due to the relocating process.
Along with these problems the refugees also face anti-Muslim rhetoric and actions. In an
interview conducted by Vice News, a refugee mother relocated in New York was asked how she
feels about moving to the US. She responded by saying I am afraid I am afraid of what can
happen to me or my family. The people that live around us are scary (Dec 2015). The woman
continues to say that she is afraid of expressing herself and her religion to the people around her.
There has been an increase in anti-Muslim and refugee protests and actions around the globe
such as the pig head thrown at a Philadelphia mosque in late 2015 and mass protests in Germany.
Statements and ideas from politicians such as creating a database strictly for Muslim Americans
and denying entry to any Muslim has also led to a hostile environment for the Syrian refugees.
The family that was interviewed by Vice News also described a discomfort when they hear these
ideas. This is not just seen in the United States but in many nations receiving refugees. Once
these families leave the danger of war, they come across a new set of problems in their new
nations which have many pro-refugee activists upset. They believe that once a refugee arrives to
their new home they should not worry about being harmed.

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With this literary review, there has been an analysis of several sources in order to
completely grasp the Syrian refugee crisis. By using the research questions described, there can
be a better understanding the current Syrian conflict and how its causing a rise in number of
refugees, the reactions from different nations, the security concerns, and the new set of problems
confronted by relocated refugees. As long as the violence in Syria continues, the number of
people in which have lost their homes or are afraid to live in them will continue to rise.
Humanitarian groups from around the world trying to assist in this crisis are already seeing
depleting resources. By understanding these different aspects and keeping up with new
information, there can be a view on how this crisis will affect the world in the future.

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References
Altman, A. (2015, November 17). This Is How the Syrian Refugee Screening Process Works.
Retrieved from http://time.com/4116619/syrian-refugees-screening-process/
Central Intelligence Agency. (Updated 2016, March). The World Factbook: Syria. Retrieved
from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/up.html
Kelley, M. B. (2013, October 16). The Madness of the Syria Proxy War in One Chart. Retrieved
from http://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-involved-in-the-war-in-syria-2013-10
Khinkulova, K. (2015, November). Refugees and the Paris attacks: What you need to know.
Retrieved from http://www.euronews.com/2015/11/20/refugees-and-the-paris-attackswhat-you-need-to-know/
Martinez, M. (2015, September). Syrian refugees: Which countries welcome them. Retrieved
from http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/09/world/welcome-syrian-refugeescountries/index.html
OBagy. E. (2012, March). The Free Syrian Army. Middle East Security Report, 9, 10-45.
Tolan, C. (2016, March). These Syrian Refugees Are Now Living in One of the Most
Conservative States. Retrieved from http://fusion.net/story/280753/houston-texas-syrianrefugees/
Tyner, E. (2016, February). Do Territorial Control and the Loss of Territory Determine the use
of Indiscriminate Violence by Incumbent Actors. Journal of Terrorism Research, 7, 5266

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United Nations High Commission for Refugees (Updated 2016, March). Syrian Refugee Crisis.
Retrieved from http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/regional.php
Vice News (2015, December). Banning Syrian Refugees: Unsettled in America. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92bkwIDplAU