by Morgan Nutt
Refugees remonstrate at the border.
Thousands of refugees have been trying to flee war-stricken Syria. Thousands of lives have been lost and most neighboring countries refuse to let the refugees in.
Syria’s civil war has been going on for years now. It is affecting over 11 million people who aren’t involved in the war. Those not involved are trying to flee the country. Escaping is easier said than done.
The fleeing of refugees has grown into a problem. After the body of a 3-year-old Syrian boy fleeing from the war washed up on the shore of a Turkish beach, many countries and individuals have begun to notice how much of a problem the war in Syria has become. The boy and his family, like most other Syrian refugees, were sailing to Greece on a boat full of other refugees. The boat capsized due to too many people on the boat.
Many refugees have to make an 800-mile journey from Kobane through Turkey. Their destination is the nations along the Aegean coast. From there, some of them stay and others take a boat to get away. Boats are often overcrowded and are likely to capsize. Many refugees drown or swim to a nearby shore.
“Only 10 percent of people drown,” a Syrian refugee said. “Your chances of success are much higher. My friend told me that the journey is very dangerous; at any moment you could die or drown. But if you make it to Sweden or Norway, it’ll be a good future. I wanted to have a good future; to continue my studies. I didn’t see any other way.”
Some countries are trying to help but are putting a strict number about how many refugees they will allow into their country. Some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab States, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, refuse to let a single Syrian refugee into their country.
Hungary has taken extreme measures to make sure that the refugees don’t get into their country. They have used tear gas and water cannons to push migrants and refugees away from the border. By doing so, they are pushing all the refugees toward an already overcrowded Croatia.
Most neighboring countries are trying their best to keep up with the demands of the waves of refugees. Some countries have set up camps for the refugees to stay in. Some of the camps have very poor living conditions.
“One of my brothers is still in Syria with his family, but he says it’s horrible there now,” said another Syrian refugee. “They’re fighting there, there’s no food, there’s nothing. It’s not safe. People say they’re not letting their children out because they’ll be kidnapped for ransom.”
Syria’s war doesn’t look like it will stop anytime soon, and with thousands more refugees still fleeing the country, the neighboring countries look like they’ve almost met their limits with how many refugees they can take in. The U.S has agreed to take some of them in, but it is a long and costly journey for them to make it to our country. Most refugees are running out of options.