Political instability and civil wars in different world nations have led to the suffering and oppression of various groups of their population. The ensuing violence in these countries has escalated the number of refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe, which has been a worrying factor to the concerned charitable groups such as the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Syria is one of the hardest hit countries by humanitarian crises at the moment. According to Ostrand (2015), the Syrian war which began in March 2011 between the government and rebel opposition groups during the Arab Spring had recorded an estimate of 11 million victims by 2014. The unrelenting conflict has been overwhelming to the country’s neighbors who have had to offer asylum to the growing number of refugees. The U.S. and Russia have been the most notable stakeholders in the Syrian war. Problems that cause a global threat are best solved at an international level.
The Syrian war which has resulted in a refugee crisis in neighboring countries is an international problem and requires a direct intervention to steer peace and stability. The Bashar al Assad led government and the Islamic State of Iraqi and Syria (ISIS) militant groups have been at the center stage of civilian oppression. The World Vision (2018) asserts that over 5.6 million Syrians have been compelled to flee their country and seek refuge elsewhere. Syria’s political framework supports totalitarianism and as a result, the government is opposed to the dynamics fronted by the Arab Spring whereby citizens seek inclusion in administrative decisions. To ensure that civilian protests do not escalate to a level that would prompt a political ideology change, Assad has resorted to a violent onslaught on protesters with security forces going to the extent of using chemical bombs (World Vision, 2018). On the other hand, the ISIS group that has been fighting Assad’s administration in a quest to make Syria an Islamic state has also forced several people to flee the country due to their brutal approaches in instilling the sharia law.
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Several countries have taken active roles in accommodating the Syrian refugee influx situation. For instance, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (UK) have provided asylum and protection to Syrian refugees in their different capacities and this has helped to reduce the burden caused by the situation to the country’s immediate neighbors such as Lebanon and Jordan (Ostrand, 2015). However, a number of countries have been against the international community’s pursuit to help victims of the Syrian war. For instance, Hungary contravened the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) resolution by the United Nations (UN) to offer assistance to displaced people by building a wall on its border with Serbia in 2015 to ensure that Syrian refugees did not enter the country (World Vision, 2015). Article 14(1) of the UDHR states that everyone has the right to seek asylum in another country and enjoy liberty from persecution (Kapferer, 2008). This implies that any nation that blocks the Syrian refugees fleeing oppression violates their human rights as they deserve protection.
The U.S. and Russia have been directly involved in the Syrian situation with both countries making effort to end the eight-year-old conflict. However, political differences between these two stakeholders in the war have occasioned a delayed resolution. The U.S. has been in support of the rebel groups fighting for democracy while Russia believes that the Syrian government has the sovereign authority to steer normalcy in the country. While both countries are concerned about possible ways in which the plight of Syrians can be ended, variations in their cultural and ethical frameworks have prompted different approaches. For instance, the U.S. is inclined toward the common good approach to ensure that all Syrians are included in the governance of their country. According to Humud, Blanchard, & Nikitin (2018), America has been working towards having both the Syrian government and the opposition forces reach an agreement on how the country is to be run. On the other hand, Russia’s approach is utilitarian to ensure that the conflict does not escalate further, which could enhance the refugee crisis.
Different bodies and legislation have been formulated to address various international conflicts such as the Syrian refugee crisis. Firstly, the U.S. Refugee Law and Policy was passed to address the predicament of displaced people across the globe. The legislation provides a mechanism through which refugees are administered into the country and the rights to be enjoyed (American Immigration Council, 2015). The refugee law is based on the justice and rights approaches of the ethical framework as it seeks to ensure that all citizens of the world are treated equally and their human rights respected. Secondly, the UNHCR is designed purposely to relieve the plight of refugees and internally displaced people in all countries. According to Betts, Loescher, & Milner (2012), the UNHCR is mandated to coordinate the international activities meant to protect refugees and address their problems. UNHCR is based on the rights approach since its prime responsibility is to have every displaced individual such as Syrian refugees acquire all the basic requirements in life.
Overall, it is the responsibility of the international community to ensure that all conflicts that jeopardize the well-being of citizens in different countries are resolved. The Syrian war has been escalated by the cultural and ethical differences portrayed by major stakeholders, while the refugee crisis continues to overwhelm various world countries. The presence of charitable groups such as the UNHCR and resolutions like UDHR that provide a framework for addressing the plight of vulnerable groups in the society is essential in solving the Syrian refugee problem.
- American Immigration Council. (2015). An overview of U.S. Refugee Law and Policy. Retrieved from https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/overview-us-refugee-law-and-policy
- Betts, A., Loescher, G., & Milner, J. (2012). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): The politics and practice of refugee protection. New York, NY: Routledge.
- Humud, C. E., Blanchard, C. M., & Nikitin, M. B. (2018). Armed conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. response. Congressional Research Service.
- Kapferer, S. (2008). Article 14(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and exclusion from international refugee protection. Refugee Survey Quarterly, 27(3), 53-75.
- Ostrand, N. (2015). The Syrian refugee crisis: A comparison of responses by Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Journal on Migration and Human Security.
