Blog Response: Syrian Refugees

I recently read a blog by Sara Halabi. Her blog is about her life as a Syrian Refugee, and she talks about the ups and downs and the things going on in politics. She was born in Syria and found refuge with her family at a Jordan refugee camp, she then was able to move to Michigan with her family. In her most recent post, she talks about seven thousand Syrian refugees being protected from deportation by TRS. Sara and her family are among those seven thousand and she talks about this protection and the awful things going on in Syria.

She explains that TPS is the program that protects refugees from countries that are going through a war, a natural disaster, or other dangerous conditions. The government made clear that this protection was only temporary, but it is still a step in the right direction. Without the TPS, Sara said that her and her family would probably not be in the United States.

The article that she was talking about said that no part of Syria is safe, and most Syrian refugees would never go back to Syria because of the violent climate. Sara reflects back on what Syria was like when she and her family were there, and it is truly heartbreaking. She talks about hearing explosions and having soldiers constantly threatening them with guns. The things that people experience in countries of war are truly traumatic and getting out is the only option for most people. Sara said that even if the war ended she would never go back to Syria, because she experienced too many horrific things there.

TPS is providing protection for eighteen months, but after that the future is unknown. The government will be reviewing TPS to decide if it will be extended of cut after eighteen months. Sara talks about how the Trump administration has tried to terminate TPS with Nepal, Sudan, and Haiti, but have failed. Hopefully the pattern continues and Syrian refugees remain in safety. While TPS is so amazing for refugees in danger, it isn’t a permanent solution and other work must be done to come to a long term plan.

It’s heartbreaking to think that families like Sara’s have to live in war-torn countries and struggle to find safety. We should work together as a community to protect refugees no matter what country we live in or where the refugees are from. It’s our civil duty to help others out who are in dire need. Although it is really up to the government to make concrete solutions, we as a society can make big changes as well. There are so many charities that help refugees all over the world and by donating money online, you can make a real difference. Also you can donate goods to IRC offices that will be distributed out to refugees. You can also make an impact without any donations at all. By simply posting your support on Twitter or peaceful protesting, you can voice your opinion and get heard by your society. If enough people speak up it will eventually combine into an undeniably roar. This is such an important issue in our world today, and we must try to do our part.