Displaced Syrians seek an escape from refugee life

JEDDAH: Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, west Iraq and Turkey, have been forced to adapt to their new living conditions in the refugee camps. However as the protracted war in their homeland puts their lives on hold, many Syrian refugees are increasingly striving to find an alternative to life in the refugee camps.
“It is estimated that around 180,000 Syrian refugees have fled the violence in their home country and are seeking refuge in the city of Mafraq, in northern Jordan. The majority of the refugees believe the Syrian crisis will persist for a longer period of time, and feel they can no longer continue living in temporary and hard conditions,” Muhammad Al-Tarkawi, member of the Syrian National Council (SNC), told Arab News.
“I cannot continue living in a refugee camp in Jordan, as the living circumstances are becoming increasingly more difficult. I have started looking for a job in the Gulf countries, especially in Saudi Arabia. I am a civil engineer, and hope my education will be my ticket out of this refugee camp,” Muhammad Suhail, a Syrian refugee who lives in Mafraq, told Arab News.
The protracted nature of the Syrian crisis has had an especially tough impact on women and children, who represent 75 percent of the Syrian refugees in Jordan.
A priority for many of the Syrian refugees is to ensure that their children can return to school and continue their education, which has been suspended for more than a year.
Some Syrian refugee families have resorted to marrying their daughters to Arab citizens, thinking it will provide their daughters with greater security and stability. However, most of the Syrian refugees families are not content about marrying their daughters in these circumstances.
“I think it is shameful that some Syrian refugee families are marrying their daughters to strangers for money. We cannot say this represents a phenomenon, due to the low number of incidences,” Ali Abdul Al-Fatah, Syrian refugee who lives in Jordan said.
In Iraq, there are more than 50,000 Syrian refugees living mostly in west Iraq and Kurdistan. 20 percent of Syrian refugees have chosen to live in Al-Qaiem and Al-Anbar, because they have relatives in these adjacent Iraqi cities. The Iraqi government has not fully supported nor welcomed Syrian refugees, due to security fears, however the Iraqi tribes in the west, have come to the aid of their Syrian counterparts.
The Iraq government recently reopened the border crossing at Al-Qaiem for Syrian refugees. The new arrivals have been directed to a new camp, set up near the Ministry of Displacement and Migration, with the UNHCR’s support. In anticipation of continued arrivals, land has been allocated in the area for a third camp.
In Turkey, the immigration dream to Europe, especially to Sweden, represents a promising alternative to the Syrian refugees in Turkey. There are more than 120,000 Syrian refugees dwelling along the Turkish borders with Syria. Most of these refugees are waiting eagerly for the chance to cross into Europe.
The large number of Syrian refugees in Turkey has created a real burden on the host nation, and taken a toll on their domestic politics. The Turkish government has requested the assistance of its European neighbors, however most European countries are already encumbered by the Euro crisis.
Over 16,500 Syrians have applied for asylum within the European Union (EU) over the past 18 months, according to the UNHCR.
Countries with the largest applications include Germany with over 5,500, Sweden with 2,500 and Switzerland with 1,400. UNHCR is appealing for EU member states to be sensitive of the situation in Syria, while processing the applications and to avoid repatriating asylum seekers.
“European Union member states may consider granting Syrian asylum seekers temporary protection, with the hope that the crisis facing the country will end soon and a return to their country is made possible,” said Adrian Edwards, from the UNHCR.
While most European states are processing claims and granting protection to Syrians, the type of asylum status and entitlements granted to the Syrian refugees vary considerably. In Greece, for example, the asylum system fails to meet the protection needs of many refugees. In some countries on the Eastern border of the EU rejection rates are more than 50 percent. In addition, some countries are more likely to give Syrians a tolerated stay rather than actual protection. There is therefore a risk that people in need of protection will be denied the rights to which they are entitled under EU or international law and will be compelled to move.