Syria’s Civil War has created one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century. What started as peaceful anti-government protests in early 2011 has escalated into a full-scale civil war. Half of the country’s population—more than 11 million people—have been killed or forced to flee their homes as a result (Asare, Patrick, Gritten, Offer, & Rodgers). As forces loyal to Syrian ruling Dictator Bashar al-Assad, those opposed to his regime, and jihadist militants from the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) clash, innocent civilians impacted by the war are scrambling to find sanctuary. Majority of Syrian civilians lost their livelihoods and economic opportunities, due to the devastation of war and the resulting destruction. This
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As of October 2015, the Kingdom of Jordan has taken in 630,000 Syrian refugees, while the United States has taken in less than 3,000 (Fakih & Marrouch). As seen in many other countries, economic studies have shown notable wealth improvement upon accepting refugees. One defined trend, as exemplified in Lebanon, is that refugees bring in an influential source of demand for locally produced services—a nominal 1-percent increase in Syrian refugees increased Lebanese service exports by 1.5 percent (Calì & Sekkarie). The benefit of taking refugees into a country is easily noticeable. By fitting into the gaps in societies’ labor force, they will help strengthen the economy. Understandably, there is a fear of refugees, in regards to both national security and substantiated long-term costs. This fear can be eliminated by ongoing careful screening of refugees to ensure they will fit our economy and culture, as well as a process to encourage refugees to settle into regions where there is a need for their specific skill sets. Moreover, by implementing smart policies that target labor market growth, the United States could improve its economic expansion prospects, thereby turning a serious challenge into an opportunity for progress (Fakih & …show more content…
Although there is a significant upfront short-term cost for integrating Syrian refugees into society, these funds are mainly spent on developmental costs such as education and health care services—resources that will continue to benefit the refugees for years to come. The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs states that funding for the Syrian refugees reached around 35 percent of Jordan’s entire budget in 2015. Though additional financial requirements are necessary to satisfy humanitarian needs, they are relatively minimal for such vast economies like that of the United States. By allowing in refugees, the money spent on development in turn gives us back everything from “work program[s] to rehabilitation of socioeconomic infrastructures, as well as demand-based vocational and business skills trainings” that ultimately would strengthen the upcoming population of working-class people in the United States (Jordan Response Platform for the Syria Crisis and United
As of October 2015, the Kingdom of Jordan has taken in 630,000 Syrian refugees, while the United States has taken in less than 3,000 (Fakih & Marrouch). As seen in many other countries, economic studies have shown notable wealth improvement upon accepting refugees. One defined trend, as exemplified in Lebanon, is that refugees bring in an influential source of demand for locally produced services—a nominal 1-percent increase in Syrian refugees increased Lebanese service exports by 1.5 percent (Calì & Sekkarie). The benefit of taking refugees into a country is easily noticeable. By fitting into the gaps in societies’ labor force, they will help strengthen the economy. Understandably, there is a fear of refugees, in regards to both national security and substantiated long-term costs. This fear can be eliminated by ongoing careful screening of refugees to ensure they will fit our economy and culture, as well as a process to encourage refugees to settle into regions where there is a need for their specific skill sets. Moreover, by implementing smart policies that target labor market growth, the United States could improve its economic expansion prospects, thereby turning a serious challenge into an opportunity for progress (Fakih & …show more content…
Although there is a significant upfront short-term cost for integrating Syrian refugees into society, these funds are mainly spent on developmental costs such as education and health care services—resources that will continue to benefit the refugees for years to come. The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs states that funding for the Syrian refugees reached around 35 percent of Jordan’s entire budget in 2015. Though additional financial requirements are necessary to satisfy humanitarian needs, they are relatively minimal for such vast economies like that of the United States. By allowing in refugees, the money spent on development in turn gives us back everything from “work program[s] to rehabilitation of socioeconomic infrastructures, as well as demand-based vocational and business skills trainings” that ultimately would strengthen the upcoming population of working-class people in the United States (Jordan Response Platform for the Syria Crisis and United