The disparity between Syrian and Ukranian refugee treatment

The Messenger Editorial Board

On Feb. 24, Russia invaded Ukraine. This is a continuation of the 2014 conflict between the two nations and marks the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II. Since the start of the conflict, Russia has bombed civilian cities within Ukraine, inflicting devastating losses amongst civilians. Along with the devastation in the cities, there are dozens of children stacked in mass graves, and the healthcare options limit chances of survival.  As the conflict endangers Ukrainians, many are currently fleeing to neighboring countries as refugees seeking asylum. European countries, in total, have accepted over three million Ukrainians. However, the welcoming responses from these countries contradict the reactions they held towards the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries during their times of distress. 

Contrary to Ukrainians seeking refuge in Europe, only about 100,000 Syrians have made it to Europe though the Syrian Civil War since its start in March 2011. Multiple European countries barred entry for Syrian refugees, Leaving many with no option but to stay in a war-torn country. Because of the war, more than 80% of Syrians live in extreme poverty, with over 606,000 people killed over the last 11 years. There are in total about 13.5 million displaced Syrians -  more than half of the population. Despite the suffering the Syrians endure, European countries limited borders and deported t Syrian refugees. The European countries treatment towards the Syrians fleeing was unwelcoming, yet Ukranians now receive help in the form of transportation, food, and smiles. 

While both crises inflict suffering amongst their civilians, the European nations’ impudent actions question the truth of humanitarian equality and international security. With nowhere to go, refugees of both nationalities scramble for help, but race and nationality o  often factor into whether foreign governments are willing to help or not. Humane treatment would account for the food, shelter, and living conditions of both groups of people, but the European nations racistly choose to discriminate against MENA countries. 

Countries could be welcoming to Ukranians under the guise of the conflict being short, but even since the start of the Syrian crisis, European countries failed to reach out a helping hand. While they gathered around 25 billion euros for the past 11 years, they block their borders and disallow Syrians to seek refuge. Only about one million of the 13.5 million Syrians find refuge in Europe. In the same regard, the Middle East and North Africa regions constantly accept refugees, leading Europeans to justify the Syrian crisis as endemic, an issue for only the nations surrounding Syria, not Europe. They suggest that these areas are typically subject to violence and war zones, so they should be more capable of helping themselves. But a world where human rights fails to take precedence over race or nationality raises light to the glaring discrimination countries bring forth even today.

Disclaimer: The information above was produced from the following sources:

https://ec.europa.eu/echo/where/middle-east/syria_en

https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/02/1112202

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-mariupol-descends-into-despair-708cb8f4a171ce3f1c1b0b8d090e38e3

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/26/world/middleeast/refugees-ukraine-middle-east.html