The Impact of Syrian Refugees on Lebanon and Turkey

Around the world, 68.5 million people have been forcibly displaced. That’s the most since World War II, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR).  

There are many countries that the Syrian refugees have fled to including Turkey. The number of refugees in Turkey is around 3.5 million making Turkey the top destination for Syrian refugees. (Erdoğa, Brandt, & Kirişci, 2018). Turkey is notable for working with refugees where they opened their doors to Syrian refugees, granting them access to free health care and promising citizenship to thousands. (Zakaria & Cunningham, n.d.)

Source: TIME Magazine http://time.com/4229812/syrian-refugees-turkey-border/

Among of those impact for Turkey and Lebanon after Syrian refugees arrived includes the consequences that effect their environment, people and the international relations between the both countries. They believe that the refugees are

• Stealing their jobs opportunities
• Increasing the crime rates in their local town
• Taking away their rights to free healthcare

More than 75 percent of the refugees fleeing to Turkey are women and children. More than 40 percent of those children are under 14 years of age. (Cohen, 2016). 

https://theconversation.com/where-have-4-8-million-syrian-refugees-gone-57968

On the other hand, according  to UNHCR, more than half of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon are below 18 years of age while the majority of the registered refugees registered were women aged from 18-59 with a total of 25%.  They too, feel the effect when they entered a new unfamiliar environment. According to UNHCR figures, 75 percent of Syrian refugee households were unable to meet basic needs of food, health, shelter and education in 2017. Moreover, 77 percent of female Syrian refugees, and 66 percent of male Syrian refugees, faced verbal harassment. As a result, living conditions for Syrian refugees in Lebanon are dire. (Elbadawi, 2018).

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The effect on International Relations are 

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President Tayyip Erdogan and his main rival in Sunday’s presidential election have both pledged to send millions of Syrian refugees home, responding to growing unease among voters about the number of migrants in Turkey. (Butler, 2018).  Although, it is stated on BBC, that they have been sending back illegally for awhile. However, their government denied in doing so.

On top of that, in Lebanon, they are close to shifting their policy from “discouraging Syrians from staying in Lebanon” to “pushing Syrians out of Lebanon.” (Elbadawi, 2018). This breach the international law.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezYfYLogFDU

Reference list: 

Erdoğa, M. M., Brandt, J., & Kirişci, K. (2018, June 19). Syrian refugees in Turkey: Beyond the numbers. Retrieved from Brookings: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/06/19/syrian-refugees-in-turkey-beyond-the-numbers/

Zakaria, Z., & Cunningham, E. (n.d.). Turkey, once a haven for Syrian refugees, grows weary of their presence. Retrieved from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkey-to-syrian-refugees-you-dont-have-to-go-home-but-dont-stay-here/2018/04/04/d1b17d8c-222a-11e8-946c-9420060cb7bd_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3eed937ec04a

Cohen, J. H. (2016, April 18). Where have 4.8 million Syrian refugees gone? Retrieved from The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/where-have-4-8-million-syrian-refugees-gone-57968

Elbadawi, H. (2018, July 6). Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Potential Forced Return? Retrieved from Atlantic Council: http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/syrian-refugees-in-lebanon-potential-forced-return

Butler, D. (2018, June 22). Turkey's Erdogan, presidential rival both vow to send Syrians home. Retrieved from Reuters : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-election-syrians/turkeys-erdogan-presidential-rival-both-vow-to-send-syrians-home-idUSKBN1JI175