You have no home left. You have been separated from your family for over three months, they only come to visit you in your dreams. Your month's travels across Europe was full of rejections, as each country had the same answer “We are sorry but you can not stay here”. Food and clean water are rare to find. Everywhere you turn women and children screaming, crying for their family. Death. You are surrounded by it. Where will you go to escape it? Thousands of Syrian refugees face this alarming reality daily. Syrian refugees should be allowed to seek asylum in the United States because of other country’s successful actions in accepting displaced people, they deserve the freedom that they have been deprived of, and inaccurate stereotypes Americans have falsely embraced.

To begin, from the time the Syrian civil war first erupted, around 4.5 million Syrian refugees have fled from the country. In response, many countries around the world have welcomed in refugees by the thousands (Alikhan). In fact, countries such as Germany have accepted 93,000 refugees so far and plan on letting in another 500,000 each year (Brice). Germany is roughly only 85% the size of California, yet they have accepted nine times the amount of Syrian refugees. The United States has no excuse in saying they do not have the open area to take in the refugees. In addition, Canada has just recently implemented a new five step system in which Syrian refugees can be relocated. The five steps of the systems include identifying the refugees, processing, transportation and welcoming to Canada, and settlement into Canadian society (cic.gc.ca). It is clear that Canada is confident in the new system it has recently implemented for the ongoing crisis. The United States should implement a similar system to accept refugees. Furthermore, in recent years, “compared to the E.U. [European Union], the United States has admitted comparatively few refugees — less than 2,000 since 2011” (Alikhan). These numbers show how little the United States has done compared to Germany and all of Europe in their efforts. On the other hand, governors from 31 different states are currently opposing the acceptance of Syrian refugees. The recent attacks in France and Belgium have influenced their refusal because one of the terrorists involved in the Paris attacks, Ahmad al Muhammad, was able to enter Greece posing as a refugee. However, the refugees being granted access into the United States would not be able to enter the country as easily. There is a much more secure process of background and history checks, which go through the inspection of many government agencies (Frantz,Brumfield). In closing, the acceptance of refugees is possible for the United States, since it has been demonstrated by other countries.

Next, Syrian refugees have not had the same freedoms as Americans. Director of the CIA John Brennan stated that the locking off of United States borders to refugees seeking asylum “‘is inconsistent with what [he] think [the United State’s] societies have been founded on over the last several hundreds of years’”(Alikhan). The United States was founded upon colonists seeking independence from the oppressive British Rule. Similarly, the Syrian people are fleeing from their dictator Bashar Hafez al-Assad and his inhumanities. Hence, it is only right to support and allow the Syrian refugees to find asylum here in the United States. From the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Syria has been in a constant downward trend. People have been fleeing the country in hopes to avoid the mass killings and persecutions from Jihadi militants. Wide spread starvation became common amongst villages, killing thousands. It is recorded that since the beginning of the war in 2011 of 190,000 people have been killed (Freedom House). If not being granted freedom within their country where will they turn? This nation was founded upon the basis of unconditional freedom. “O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave” is what the United States is represented as. The United States has the power to accept the Syrian people and give them the feeling of freedom that they have so been longing. Freedom House, a worldwide organization, which works to help make countries such as Syria become more democratic by considering freedom, civil liberties, and political rights, gave Syria the worst rating possible in each category. Clearly, the Syrian people are currently one of the most oppressed minorities because of their government, the Assad Regime. Thus it is necessary, that the United States must begin accepting Syrian refugees until Syria once again is a country of freedom.

Despite that, Governors of  many states still oppose the idea of accepting minimal to any refugees into their states. For example, the Alabama governor Robert Bentley made a statement saying that, “‘After full consideration of this weekend's attacks of terror on innocent citizens in Paris, [he] will oppose any attempt to relocate Syrian refugees to Alabama through the United States Refugee Admissions Program’”(Frantz,Brumfield). But in truth, the United States has always kept open borders to refugees. In the past, during the Vietnam War, the United States allowed 110,000 refugees in a single year. One year later the United States accepted another 207,000 Vietnamese (Park). During the Vietnamese war people from the South pacific region were also looked down upon as threats to American safety and possibly spies. Yet, the United States still accepted refugees during those tense times. As mention, the rights that should be available to all human beings across the Earth have not been accessible to the Syrian people, but if the United States accepts Syrian exiles, they will have the opportunity to live freely.

To continue, Syrian Refugees have been falsely demonized as terrorists by the American people. “More than 150,000 Syrians already living in the United States, according to census figures, and refugees who have relatives in the country are likely to be resettled with or near them”(Park). In history Syrians have already been able to live with Americans peacefully. When a refugee is first brought to America and is welcomed by a family member they will feel more comfortable in their new home. History has proven the stereotype that the Syrian Refugees are terrorists is false. Furthermore, Kate Jastram an attorney and a well known specialist on forced migration at UC Berkeley’s Blum Center for Developing Economies commented that “people who want to cause the United States harm [would not] enter the country as a refugee. They’d more likely come in on tourist visa or some other temporary visa” (Brice). Evidently, proving that the idea of refugees are terrorists wrong. Additionally, Kate Jastram also suggested that, “‘If [the society of the United States] start saying, ‘[One’s] religion is more important than anything else about [one] — [or one’s] character, the suffering you’ve gone through,’this is a really dangerous and long road for the [United States] to go on’” (Brice). “Do not judge a book by it’s cover,” a popular phrase almost everyone has heard at least once in their lifetime, can be related to this issue. If the majority of people only judge the Syrian Muslim refugee population based on their religion, and not their character or tragedies it will only escalate issues in the Middle East even more. The American people must not falsely picture the Muslim Syrian refugees, but see their true character. On the other hand, Michael McCaul, a chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee says that “‘Jihadists see these programs as a back door into America and will continue to exploit them until [people] take action,’” (Nixon). Yet, for a refugee to meet the qualifications they are investigated by several federal agencies, including the FBI, State Department, and Department of Homeland Security. With all of the screening processes extensive steps the safety of United States citizens should not be question by a Syrian refugee (Alikhan). Clearly, the Syrian refugees have been falsely portrayed as terrorist due to ill knowledge and ignorance of the American people.

  As aforementioned, Syrian refugees should be granted access into United States because foreign nations have been able to successfully do so, they are entitled to freedom and are falsely associated as terrorists. Of the 4.5 million Syrian refugees in the world today, the United States is only responsible for accepting 2,700. Neighboring country to Syria, Lebanon hosts one million displaced peoples (Brice). In comparison to the rest of the world the United States has only left a scratch of the acceptance of Syrian refugees, yet it needs to be a dent. The United States must follow the trends of other countries around the world accept more Syrian refugees, and save them from deportation back to Syria. Subsequently, this would be sending them to imminent death.

Works Cited
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Fantz, Ashely, and Ben Brumfield. "Syrian Refugees Not Welcome in 31 U.S. States." CNN.
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