Refugees from Syria deserve resettlement

I want to start this post with taking a moment to express my condolences for all the lives lost with recent tragedies around the world in the last few days. It hurts to see such terrible things happening so often.

That being said, there is particular recent event that is causing a great deal of conversation in America in regards to Syrian refugees. If you’re reading this, I would say that there is a pretty high chance that you have heard about what took place in Paris, France last week.

Soon after the terrorist attack, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, but somehow that was not enough to stop many from blaming Syrian refugees for the terror that occurred.

Recently in the United States, several states’- including two close to my heart, MI and MS- governors have declared that they will be blocking the resettlement of Syrian refugees in their states for security reasons. While these governors are entitled to their own opinions, they have done something terrible in scapegoating this whole group of people. These declarations are xenophobic, discriminatory, prejudiced, and hateful.

To begin with, Syrian refugees were NOT responsible for the terrorist attack in Paris. Syrian refugees are currently making up a significant number of the French population due to the recent crises. Many of these refugees were fleeing from terror that ISIS and other actors were causing in their home country. So why are they being blamed?

In most conflicts, there is need for putting all responsibility on someone or a group of people. Most of the time, whoever is blamed is likely to be undeserving of the blame. In this case, Syrian refugees have done nothing but do what their LEGAL status entails. But, most are not thinking about their legal status. Most do not care that they are REFUGEES. All that most people can focus on is “Syrian.”

At this point, I feel the need to refer to them as refugees from Syria rather than Syrian refugees. While their nationality is important to who they are, their status as refugees is very important. In short, a refugee is someone who is fleeing persecution, war, or other dangerous situations based on various parts of their identity.

With that in mind, how can one say that they do not want to help them by resisting the legal process? By resisting systems that have been in place internationally since the 1951 Refugee convention? By, in the US’ case, resisting law that has been in place since the 1980 Refugee Act? These are questions that are not being asked of these governors. They need to be held accountable.

Many of them represent their states, so I am not surprised at the support they are getting, but this should not be allowed. I am not sure if President Obama has responded to them yet, but he has already made it clear that the US will work to accept more Syrian refugees. Why not just support the President? (Well, that’s a story for another day). If they really looked in to what bringing Syrian refugees could for this country, maybe they would rethink their decisions. Considering the circumstances of some of the states wanting to reject resettlement, it is sad to see that they do not realize what having refugees could do for their economies. Everybody loves money, right?

Beyond that, it is just shameful that a whole group of refugees, an already marginalized group, are being marginalized further just because of fake correlation with a terror attack. There are actual lives that are at stake here. Resettlement means a new life- a chance to start over. This is what these governors are denying. In their false sense of valor for protecting their states, they are denying many of their human rights.

I hope that all in the midst of all this, there are still states that will be willing to accept Syrian refugees. The refugees need homes. They have the right to their lives. Who is a state governor to deny them of this protection they receive under law? No one, that’s who. I hope after reading this, you too, will see Syrian refugees as just refugees from Syria. Their country of origin is not and will not ever be enough to take away what they are entitled to as refugees.