By Roman Wright ’19, Staff Writer

The recent crisis of refugees fleeing the Syrian Civil War is one of the largest in recent history, with over four and a half million Syrians leaving their native land and going to other countries. The majority of them are in Turkey, an estimated 2.5 million in tent cities on the Syrian and Turkish border.^[1] However, as more refugees flow through Turkey in to Europe, there have been calls for the United States to take a part in receiving asylum seekers from Syria. This would be alongside action taken by several European countries and Canada. However, while it is impossible not to be sympathetic to the plight of Syrians and to wish to rectify the situation, it would be unwise to carry that emotion into decision-making on policies. The unfortunate truth is that it would not be difficult at all for a terrorist from organizations such as ISIS to infiltrate the seemingly innocent group of refugees. Additionally, the cultures of the United States and Syria are so radically different as to create a potential for racial tension and cultural friction.

Everyone saw the horrific events unfold in Paris last November, and no one would want to see that happen again. Unfortunately, a refugee from Syria was identified as having blown himself up outside of the soccer stadium, starting the killing spree. He passed all of the screening processes and was admitted into France, only to hurt the country which had shown him such generosity.^[2] In order to ensure something like this tragedy does not occur on American soil, we cannot allow refugees into the country unless they are extremely tightly screened to ensure they harbor no extremist ideology. Even when no jihadist premonitions are present, there are still refugees who have been admitted to European countries who have been charged with criminal behavior. One need only look to Cologne, Germany on New Year’s Eve, where parties in the streets became places where refugees assaulted and raped German women.^[3]

Historically, refugees have been convicted or pleaded guilty to attacks on the homeland or against Americans abroad, so it is not a new trend. Two Iraqis in Kentucky in 2013 were convicted of using IEDs to kill American soldiers in Iraq, and once they were in America, they attempted to “provide material support to terrorists….”^[4] Since then the screening has gotten much tighter, but James Comey, the director of the FBI, has said, “I can’t sit here and offer anybody an absolute assurance that there’s no risk associated with this.”^[5] Given the results seen in other countries and in our own history of refugees as terrorists, it would be unwise to proceed without the full confidence of people charged with screening refugees, which is not yet present.

A massive influx of refugees would have adverse effects on the American worker, particularly the lesser educated worker, who would be now competing with refugees as well as other immigrants, and other Americans for the same jobs. Despite claims that the Syrians fleeing are well educated and middle-class, the GDP per capita of Syria, even before its Civil War, was only $5,000.^[6] That puts it in the same category as Libya, Peru, and other countries with largely uneducated, unskilled labor forces whose workers would compete with America’s working class for jobs that are already disappearing. It would be sheer idiocy to add more people to a struggling portion of the American workforce; yet, it is to this working class that Syrians would overwhelmingly go.

Therefore, allowing for Syrian refugees puts America at an undue risk. We have observed in the past in America and in Europe today how, even if it remains a minute possibility, refugees can pose a danger to society. A very small minority do not feel gratitude towards their new country; instead, they experience anger and outrage. Unless those individuals are consciously disallowed entrance to the United States, no refugee should be allowed on the grounds that it threatens the safety of the American public. The unskilled workforce which the refugees would only add to is already beleaguered by job loss and wage stagnation, and does not need  additional members to intensify competition for jobs. Refugees, until properly screened, threaten American lives and American livelihoods.

^[1] “UNHCR Syria Regional Refugee Response/ Turkey”. UNHCR. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2016.

^[2] Tharoor, Ishaan. “Were Syrian Refugees Involved in the Paris Attacks? What We Know and Don’t Know.” Washington Post. Accessed January 21, 2016. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/11/17/were-syrian-refugees-involved-in-the-paris-attacks-what-we-know-and-dont-know/.

^[3] “Cologne’s Aftershocks.” The Economist. 2016. Accessed January 21, 2016. http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21688418-ultimate-victim-sexual-assaults-migrants-could-be-angela-merkels-liberal-refugee.

^[4] Lott, Maxim. “Fact Check: Claims ‘no Refugees’ since 9/11 Took Part in Terror Plots Ring False | Fox News.” Fox News. 2015. Accessed January 21, 2016. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/11/24/fact-check-claims-no-refugees-since-11-took-part-in-terror-plots-ring-false.html.

^[5] Markon, Jerry. “Senior Obama Officials Have Warned of Challenges in Screening Refugees from Syria.” Washington Post. Accessed January 21, 2016. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/federal-eye/wp/2015/11/17/senior-obama-officials-have-warned-of-challenges-in-screening-refugees-from-syria/.

^[6] National Accounts Main Aggregates Database, December 2014, (Select all countries, “GDP, Per Capita GDP – US Dollars”, and 2014 to generate table), United Nations Statistics Division. Accessed on 4 Jan 2016.