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Alexa Garbarino
Mr. Phillips
AP English
23 November 2015
Syrian Refugee Crisis in Germany
Everyday up to 10,000 Syrians are fleeing from Syria and entering Germany in hopes of
finding safety and refuge. In the beginning Germany was welcoming to the Syrians until they
realized how many refugees they need to provide for. The massive influx of refugees is causing
Germany to rapidly become overcrowded with people who have no place to go. These people
have no food, shelter, jobs, or money to help them start a new life in Germany. The lack of food,
shelter, and jobs pushes the responsibility towards Germany to provide them with all the
necessities which becomes a bigger problem for a country who is in debt. If Germany accepts the
Syrian refugees into their country and provides them with jobs, security, and shelter, Germany
will greatly benefit economically by escaping the debt they are in.
The refugees make their way across countless borders and weave in and out of countries
to escape from the constant terrors, like bombings and wars, happening in Syria. Every day
Syrians decide to stop in Germany because they seek better job opportunities than what they had
at home. There are doctors, engineers, and teachers coming to Germany to escape the violence
that is ongoing. Europe should be taking advantage of their skills so they can make more money
in an effort to diminish their debt (Proctor). Since Germany has all these Syrians with applicable
skills in their country, it would be foolish for them to not take advantage of this opportunity.
Keith Proctor sees the refugees as an advantage to the European countries. They bring vitality
and opportunity to an aging European continent that badly needs it. The more job openings they
fill up, the less Syrians will be on the streets. They will be able to pay taxes and make a living in

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order to provide for themselves and their families, without having to rely on the government for
assistance.
Syrians are constantly entering Germany every day but they have nowhere to go which
causes the country to become cluttered. With all these people wondering around, it creates a
competitive atmosphere for jobs, food and housing. Scarce economic opportunities occur with
the large amounts of refugees entering the country as well as its surrounding countries
(DeRouen). Job openings are decreasing with the increasing number of refugees. For this reason,
Angela Markel agreed to allow a maximum of 800,000 refugees into the country this year
(Syrian Refugee Crisis). Even with this limit implemented, it doesnt make room for the
refugees still coming in. Germany has looked to its surrounding countries for assistance. The
European countries as a whole are confused as to why other countries arent trying to help,
particularly the oil-rich Arab nations. They are nearest to Syria but havent presented alternate
housing options to the Syrian refugees (Syrian Refugee Crisis). This mass migration makes the
cooperation of the surrounding countries essential in order to resolve the displacement problem
of these people.
With the Syrians scattering all over the European countries, they need the surrounding
countries ready and willing to help. In particular, Turkey is the main country that would need to
help Germany. The Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, insists on Turkey assisting them in
this crisis. Most war refugees who come to Europe travel via Turkey. We wont be able to order
and stem the refugee movement without working together with Turkey (Higgins). As the
number of expected refugees rises, Merkel realizes she will need all the help she can get. She
deals with the political pressure of having to support the expected 1.5 million refugees by the
end of 2015 and pleads that Turkey help her by taking in some of the refugees (Higgins).

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Germany not only expects help from Turkey, but other countries as well. The German Chancellor
announced that the surrounding countries, Italy, Greece, and Hungary, need to contribute and
help by allowing refugees across their borders. Balken state refugees will be turned down and
asked to return home for they dont need protection (Akrap). In order for the European countries
to come out of this crisis successfully, they all need to work together and regulate a system in
which they allow refugees through their countries. Without a systematic plan to place the
refugees, the crisis will continue to flare up and the refugees will continue to scatter.
The consistent influx of refugees presents a problem: Germany doesnt know what to do
with all of the people. After the refugees enter, most of them try to attain a status as a refugee
through a series of tests and background checks. Europe is having trouble keeping out asylum
seekers once they fail to gain refugee status. The government doesnt know what to do with the
ones who dont get refugee status but refuse to leave. Only 43,000 out of 72,168 denied refugee
applicants exited the country which leaves many displaced persons spread out across Europe
(Higgins). Even in the past, refugees have been a problem, but no definite solution was formed.
The 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 contract discuss how the international communities
fail to protect their own people. The agreements dont say how it is decided who is a refugee and
who is not. The treaties also dont have to be enforced. Therefore, there is no regulating way to
deal with refugees (Syrian Refugee Crisis). There are no definite plans set in place as to how
Europe will deal with the arriving Syrians but some of the countries decided to join forces and
work together to create a solution. Austria and Germany are welcoming to the incoming refugees
but there is not a set plan for the European Union as a whole when taking in the refugees. They
agreed to divide up 160,000 refugees to all the members of the European Union (Smale). Most
countries in the European Union are in favor of this plan but some have a few concerns when it

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comes to allowing foreigners into their countries. Poland would house 9,000 refugees under the
relocation plan but the minister of European relations, Konrad Szymanski, said Poland would
only allow those refugees in if there are security guarantees with a full background check on
all persons being protected by Europe (Smale). What if all the members of the European Union
work together? Could the crisis potentially turn into a more positive situation? Without a coming
to a consensus of how to help the refugees and regulate their arrival, Europe will continue to take
in refugees that they dont know what to do with.
Currently, both the government and the people of Germany have put forth an effort to
help out the refugees in any way they can. People around Germany have been making generous
donations and giving up their time to help out the Syrian refugees in an attempt to help them start
a new life. Food and clothes are being donated as well as medical bills and other expenses are
being paid for by the German public to help out (Akrap). The people of Germany not only
provide them with the basic needs, they even help the Syrians attain jobs and give them
opportunities to be successful in their new start. A hairdresser gave away her old equipment to
people who used to be hairdressers back in Syria so they could possibly get a job to make a
living. She also gave them lessons on treating lice to make sure they stay healthy (Smale). It is
people like this hairdresser that give Europe hope that the situation can be turned around. But can
this generosity last? The more refugees that come in, the more resources the Germans are giving
away to help out the newcomers. Resources are beginning to disappear. Some people have
stepped back from helping out because they have to worry about their own families and
providing for them, but there are Germans still willing to help out in any way they can. As
resources grow scarce, the good will has faded. But it has by no means vanished, (Smale).
Humanity hasnt completely disappeared but people are starting to wonder how much more

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Europe can handle. How can this crisis be looked at as a valuable experience if all the refugees
are taking away the Europeans job opportunities, money, and resources?
Doubts of whether Europe can resolve this crisis with ease have been voiced by their ally
country leaders. In Poland, the Prime Minister Beata Szydlo stated, European countries cannot
burden their EU allies with the problems they are responsible for.(Reuters). Poland and other
countries are resistant to helping Europe because they feel it is not their problem and it should
not be their job to help the refugees. Germany pleads to other countries, like Poland and Turkey,
to help Europe out by taking in some of the refugees in hopes of controlling the amount entering
Germany. In a recent interview the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, says the only way to
lessen the amount of refugees successfully is to have a better system at the borders, better the
conditions of refugee camps in Turkey and stop smuggling (Reuters). But even with these
improvements implemented, they wont be able to decrease the crime rates in Germany which
began rising as more refugees entered the country. The entry of the refugees into Germany has
caused ring-wing violence with over 500 crimes, arson being the main occurrence, to the
shelters and other centers (Smale). These crime rates continue to increase and obviously it is not
viewed with optimism. The people of the European Union arent sure how to solve these ongoing
crimes and are uncertain if they can be stopped. With the crime rates climbing, can this crisis
ever be looked at as something beneficial for the European countries?
The Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, believes if the country works hard enough
with its surrounding countries they can turn this crisis around and make it beneficial. It wouldnt
just involve Germany, but all the members of the European Union. In an interview, Merkel says
she believes the refugee crisis could strengthen the European Union if they react to the crisis
the right way (Reuters). Her idea of reacting in the right way incorporates border control,

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refugee camps, and substantial resources for the refugees, go along with many other
improvements that can be made. Once these improvements are made, specifically for Germany,
Wolfgang Schauble, Germanys finance minister, believes that the country will be able to benefit
from the crisis long term. Germany will be able to handle the price of accepting in the refugees
because in the long run it will pay off. Refugees are a boon to labor markets. Even though it is
hurting the country now, this crisis has the potential to turn things around in Germanys future
(Proctor). It all comes down to how the country reacts to the crisis and what actions they take to
resolve it. If they choose the wrong resolution, it could cost them the future of their country.
Germany and its surrounding countries will have to work hard to resolve the ongoing
Syrian refugee crisis. With a combined effort of border control, improvement of refugee camps,
and stronger protection and financial support, maybe it will be possible for the country to benefit
from it. Angela Merkel said, The cycle of poverty, war, and displacement will not be easy to
break. (DeRouen). It will take the right actions to create the best resolution for Germany and the
rest of the European Union.

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Works Cited
Akrap, Doris. "Germany's Response to the Refugee Crisis Is Admirable. But I Fear It Cannot
Last." The Guardian. Guardian News, 6 Sept. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
DeRouen, Karl. "Refugees: Overview." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABCCLIO, 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
Higgins, Andrew. "European Leaders Agree to Strengthen Border Controls Over Migrant..."
New York Times. 16 Oct. 2015: A.12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
Proctor, Keith. "Syria's Refugees Are a Golden Opportunity for Europe." Fortune Syrias
Refugees Are a Golden Opportunity for Europe Comments. Fortune, 15 Sept. 2015. Web.
20 Nov. 2015.
Reuters. "Merkel, Bavarian Ally Clash Over Cap on Germany's Refugee Intake." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 20 Nov. 2015. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
Smale, Alison, and Ryan Lyman. The New York Times. Attacker's Possible Link to Migrant
Trail Heightens Security Fears. The New York Times, 14 Nov. 2015. Web. 20 Nov.
2015.
Smale, Alison. "Good Will Fading in a Nation Overwhelmed by New Arrivals." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 10 Nov. 2015. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.
"Syrian refugee crisis." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web.
18 Nov. 2015.