[ot-caption title=”Syrian refugees in under supplied, overcrowded refugee camps. (via, Cmacauley, Wikipedia images)”]

Imagine feeling so unsafe in your own homeland that you resort to taking a perilous raft trip to hopefully find refuge in a neighboring country.  This is the situation that millions of refugees are experiencing, as they are escaping to various countries, especially in Europe, around the world.

Many of these refugees are fleeing from Syria, a country in the Middle East that is war-torn from civil wars.  Syrians have wanted President Assad to step down since 2011 and conflict has only grown since then.  It took a turn for the worse when after school, children were arrested for creating demeaning graffiti about the government. In an attempt to free the innocent children, peaceful protests started, but quickly escalated when the army opened fire and killed four people.  After these four murders, another protest occurred where unfortunately one more citizen was killed.

Since Assad’s refusal to step down, numerous rebel groups have risen up against his regime.  These rebels range from moderates to extremists.  One rebel group that has risen up against the government is IS, the Islamic State.  In addition to the government inflicting pain on their own people, the IS militants have been tormenting the Syrians, as well.  Because of the continuing conflict in the region, many Syrians feel that escaping is their only viable option.

The problem is that 4.1 million Syrians have fled their homeland and there is now nowhere else for them to go.  Neighboring countries are reluctantly allowing them in, but places are filling up fast, considering the vast amount of people seeking protection.  Conditions for refugees in these neighboring countries are often less than ideal.  Many refugees must live in overcrowded, under supplied camps that do not provide much opportunity.  Right now, Turkey has taken in 1.9 million refugees, half of whom are under the age seventeen.  Lebanon has also been very accepting of refugees, having taken in 1.1 million.  Other nearby countries such as Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt have done their best to accommodate as many refugees as possible.

With cramped conditions in the Middle East, about 350,000 Syrians have requested asylum in Europe and the West to experience a better life. Not only is the travel cost to Europe thousands of dollars, but many people fleeing Syria have drowned on the life-threatening raft trips. The rafts are usually unsteady and struggle to stay afloat for the entire journey to Germany. Many of those fleeing go straight to Germany and Sweden since those countries have been very accepting of refugees. France and the United Kingdom have not yet accepted many refugees, but both countries have stated that they are either going to accept more refugees, or that they will assist other countries who bare the brunt of refugees.  Denmark has been struggling to support the amount of refugees that it has received, so right now it is a discouraging movement to them.  Hungary is another unpopular refugee destination due to the Serbian police who have been known to unfairly treat the refugees.

The problem has grown to the point where the United States has had to get involved.  Many candidates in the 2016 presidential campaign have given their opinions about the United States need for intervention.  The United States, which has already accepted 1,500 Syrian refugees, has stated that it will double this amount in the next year to attempt to ameliorate the situation.

Sources: CNN, UNHCR, BBC, The Atlantic