Contents
- How do Syrian refugees travel?
- The dangers of traveling as a Syrian refugee
- The journey to safety for Syrian refugees
- The challenges of starting over as a Syrian refugee
- What life is like as a Syrian refugee
- How Syrian refugees are rebuilding their lives
- The Syrian refugee crisis in numbers
- The stories of Syrian refugees
- The global response to the Syrian refugee crisis
- What you can do to help Syrian refugees
How do Syrian refugees travel? It’s a question we get asked a lot. Here’s a look at the different ways Syrian refugees travel, and how you can help.
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How do Syrian refugees travel?
There are many ways for Syrian refugees to travel, depending on their circumstances. Some refugees may be able to travel with the help of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), while others may have to rely on smugglers.
If a refugee is registered with the UNHCR, they may be eligible for help with travel documents and transport to a safe country. In some cases, the UNHCR may also be able to provide financial assistance for travel expenses.
However, many Syrian refugees are not registered with the UNHCR and must rely on smugglers to help them travel. This can be extremely dangerous, as smugglers often do not care about the safety of their passengers. Refugees who use smugglers may have to pay high fees, and they may be put in danger of exploitation, abuse, or even death.
The dangers of traveling as a Syrian refugee
Every day, hundreds of people attempt the dangerous journey from Syria to Europe in the hopes of finding safety and a better life. The majority of these refugees are women and children, who often travel with little more than the clothes on their backs.
The journey is often long and arduous, and many refugees do not make it to their destination alive. Refugees have drown while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea, been killed by militant groups, or perished from exposure or hunger.
Those who do reach Europe often face a difficult adjustment period, as they try to rebuild their lives in a new country. Many refugees live in camps, where conditions are often cramped and difficult. Others struggle to find work and are treated with suspicion or hostility by members of their host community.
Despite all of these difficulties, many refugees are determined to make a new life for themselves and their families. With time and support, they can overcome the challenges they face and create a better future for themselves.
The journey to safety for Syrian refugees
The journey to safety for Syrian refugees often begins with a dangerous and crowded boat ride across the Mediterranean Sea.
More than 4 million Syrians have fled their homes since the civil war began in 2011, according to the United Nations. Most have gone to neighboring countries like Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. But an increasing number are taking their chances on the sea, hoping to reach Europe.
In 2015, more than 1 million migrants and refugees made the crossing, according to the U.N.’s refugee agency. About 3,770 died or went missing in the attempt.
The International Organization for Migration says most of those who have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in recent years have drowned.
The challenges of starting over as a Syrian refugee
Starting over as a Syrian refugee is an enormous challenge. Refugees have to deal with finding new housing, learning a new language, and navigating an unfamiliar culture. They also have to grapple with the psychological trauma of leaving their homes and witnessing violence. On top of all that, they often have to find new jobs and support their families.
The journey to becoming a Syrian refugees is fraught with danger. Many refugees have to travel through hostile territory, and the journey is often long and arduous. Refugees often have to walk for miles, and sometimes they have to smuggle themselves across borders. The journey can be even more dangerous for women and children, who are often targets of violence.
Once refugees arrive in a new country, they often face another set of challenges. They may not be welcomed by the locals, and they may not have any family or friends in their new home. They may also struggle to find housing and employment. Syrian refugees often live in crowded camps or on the streets, and many are forced to rely on food aid to survive.
Despite all these difficulties, Syrian refugees are incredibly resilient. They are fighting for their lives, and for the lives of their families. They are determined to build a better future for themselves, no matter how hard the journey may be.
What life is like as a Syrian refugee
More than four million Syrian refugees have fled their homes since the civil war began in 2011. Most have gone to neighbouring countries like Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan. But as the conflict drags on, an increasing number are making the dangerous journey to Europe in search of safety and a better life.
The journey is long and difficult, and often starts with a dangerous sea crossing. Refugees have to pay smugglers thousands of dollars for a place on a crowded boat. Many of these boats are not seaworthy and sink, leaving people to drown or die of exposure.
Those who make it to Europe often have to travel illegally, as most countries do not grant asylum to Syrian refugees. This means they may have to hide from authorities or travel in dangerous conditions. In some cases, refugees have been known to pay smugglers again to help them cross borders into other countries.
The journey is dangerous and difficult, but for many refugees it is the only way to find safety and a better life.
How Syrian refugees are rebuilding their lives
Every day, an average of 42,000 people are forced to flee their homes due to conflict or persecution, according to the United Nations. That’s one person every two seconds. And over half of them are children.
Of those displaced, over 6 million are Syrian refugees. After years of war and violence, they’ve finally reached a point where they can start rebuilding their lives. But it’s not easy.
The first challenge is simply getting out of Syria. The journey is long and dangerous, often involving a dangerous sea crossing. Once they’ve made it to safety in another country, they face an uncertain future. Many don’t have the documents they need to stay in their new country or find work. And language barriers can make it hard to communicate with authorities and access vital services.
But despite all these challenges, Syrian refugees are finding ways to rebuild their lives. In Lebanon, for example, some refugees have started their own businesses. Others are learning new skills and finding work in the local economy. And many are using their experiences to help others who are still displaced inside Syria or making the journey themselves.
The Syrian refugee crisis in numbers
Since the Syrian refugee crisis began in 2011, more than 5 million people have fled Syria, according to the United Nations.
The vast majority of Syrian refugees – 97% – are hosted by countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Turkey hosts the most refugees at more than 3.5 million, followed by Lebanon (more than 1 million), Jordan (654,000) and Iraq (248,000).
Fewer than 1% of Syrian refugees have resettlement options in Europe or North America.
The stories of Syrian refugees
The civil war in Syria has displaced millions of people, many of whom have sought refuge in other countries. But how do Syrian refugees travel?
The stories of Syrian refugees are varied, but there are some common threads. Many have had to rely on smugglers to get them out of Syria and into Turkey or Lebanon. From there, they often attempt to reach Europe by boat or by land.
The journey is long and dangerous, and many Syrian refugees have lost their lives along the way. But for those who make it, the rewards can be great: a chance at a new life in a safe country.
The global response to the Syrian refugee crisis
More than five million Syrians have fled their homes since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, and the pace of refugees leaving the country has accelerated in recent months. Neighboring countries have borne the brunt of the refugee crisis, with Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq hosting more than four million refugees between them. But as conditions in Syria continue to deteriorate, an increasing number of refugees are seeking safety farther afield, in Europe and elsewhere.
The journey to Europe is long and dangerous, often involving a perilous sea crossing. In 2015, more than one thousand people died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea; most were fleeing conflict or poverty in Africa or the Middle East. Syrians make up a small portion of those attempting the crossing—just over two percent in 2015—but their numbers have grown rapidly in recent years. In 2014, around fifteen thousand Syrians arrived in Europe by sea; in 2015, that number jumped to more than one hundred thousand.
Many European countries have been struggling to cope with the influx of refugees. More than four hundred thousand people applied for asylum in Europe in 2015, and the European Union has been slow to develop a coordinated response. Some countries have taken measures to deter refugees from coming— Hungary erected a fence along its southern border, for instance—while others have stepped up efforts to assist those who do arrive. Germany has been widely praised for its welcoming attitude towards refugees; more than one million asylum seekers are expected to arrive there this year.
The global response to the Syrian refugee crisis has been far from adequate. The United Nations estimates that there are now more than thirteen million people displaced by the conflict inside Syria; only a fraction of them have been able to find safety outside the country. The international community must do more to support Syrian refugees and other displaced people throughout the region.
What you can do to help Syrian refugees
The Syrian refugee crisis is one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time. More than 11 million people have been forced to flee their homes and are now living in desperate conditions in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and other countries in the region.
You can help Syrian refugees by donating to one of the many organisations working to provide lifesaving assistance, such as shelter, food, water and healthcare. You can also support refugees by campaigning for change and raising awareness of their situation.
Here are some specific things you can do to help:
1. Donate money to an organisation working with Syrian refugees.
2. Sponsor a refugee family or an individual refugee.
3. Volunteer your time or skills to help refugees in your local community.
4. Write to your elected representatives and urge them to do more to support Syrian refugees.
5. Raise awareness of the Syrian refugee crisis by sharing information and stories on social media or through other channels.