should the US receives refugees?

Name
Lecturer
Course
Date
Should the US Accept Refugees?
Introduction
No one can deny that the issue of refugee has been a menace to the international community. As a world super power, USA has been accepting refugees since the end of the World War II in 1945. Very many people have had to contend with harsh life in the overcrowded refugee camps across the globe. Indeed, the situation has become worse with the increasing tensions caused by civil wars as well as terrorist attacks. It is for this reason that the Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis, Yemenis, Somalis, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Israelites, Cubans, Libyans and Egyptians have been fleeing their countries to safer areas. This paper argues that the federal government of US should accept refugees into the country.
According to official records from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a large percentage of refugees, in 2013, came from Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, DR Congo, Sudan and Myanmar. I 2014, there was a 195 increase in the number of refugees, which shot to 14.4 million. Of this number, 50% were children and 25% elderly adults (over 60 years). These are vulnerable people who are in a dire need of support and should not be neglected (Czaika and Hein 497). They can neither cope up with the harsh conditions at the camps nor go back to their countries. They should be given a chance to relocate to safe countries like the US in which they can not only enjoy harmony but restore their lives. After all, a large percentage of these refugees are children who need to be provided with education for the sake of developing their nations in the future.

Reasons Why the US should accept Refugees
The federal government of USA should not hesitate to accept refugees fleeing from their war-tone countries of origin. Although the issue of refugees has sparked a very hot debate in the country, the political leaders need to treat it with sobriety. It is true, as others claim that accepting more refugees into the country will be disastrous. Nonetheless, the proponents of refugee resettlement argue that the US, as a leading power, does not need to forget about this matter, but be par of a solution to global challenges as experienced in Asia, Middle East and Africa from which refugees are fleeing.
The first reason the US government should accept refugees into the country is because it is a necessary remedial measure to the children, women and men fleeing from their countries. The break up of wars in Syria, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi and Yemen has exposed lots of people into problems. Al the people who flee from these countries are in a dire need of help. Whereas the children require education and other basic needs, the adults require too require food, shelter, employment. Most importantly, they are in a dire need of intervention because their lives are in danger. For example, Christian and Sunni communities in Syria risk death in the hands of ISIS rebels and the ruthless Bashar administration. If these people can not be resettled in countries like the US, then they will face serious humanitarian crises that will perpetually destabilize the world. The refugees need no to be neglected to continue wallowing in hunger in unsafe and overcrowded camps in the neighboring countries, just because they can not risk returning to their war-ravaged original homes (Czaika and Hein 497).
Besides, the government should accept refugees because it is within the law. The US constitution, under the United States Refugee Act of 1980, legitimizes the enrollment of refugees into the country. The claim that refugees are dangerous people can not be substantiated. Instead, refugees should be perceived as ordinary human beings who also have important contributions to make in the country. The refugees can help in growing the economy if given an opportunity to do so. Since the law requires that the refugees should be given jobs within six months, they can help a lot. Just like any other employee whose services are needed, refugees can bring in new talents that can be of great value to the US economy. Meaning, their acceptance into the country will not bring additional burden to the government. Getting access to employment opportunities will help the refuges to be self-reliant and not dependent on government support as alleged (Toma, and Jacqueline 1464).
In addition, refugees should be accepted into the country because it will be a sign of generosity by the government. As a world super power, US should set examples to other countries to emulate. It should responsibly use its powers to intervene in global issues such as wars. One way of doing this is by accepting refugees who are running away from wars in their countries of origin. If it does this, US will demonstrate that it is passionate about the plight of refugees from different parts of the world (Czaika and Hein 499). For example, if the government accepts Syrian refugees, it will be perceived to be committed to the principles of human rights and collective responsibility. Taking the initiative to help people who are fleeing from dictatorship will be a sign of friendliness and kindness that everyone needs. If the government accepts Syrian refugees fleeing from Assad’s regime, the government will be helping them to enjoy democracy and peace that they can not attain in their country.
Accepting refugees into the country will be a good idea because it will help in boosting national security. Since the September 11, USA has been intensifying its war against global terrorism. After launching a global attack on Al Qaeda, more terrorist groups like ISIS have come up. All these pose a great threat to the US as well as other countries. So, if the government allows refugees to settle into the country, it will be in a better position of communicating with individuals who can provide it with adequate information about the activities of these terrorists. The fear of ISIS will be eradicated if US allows Syrian refugees into the country (Kerwin 49). These refugees can help the government to acquire adequate information about ISIS before taking the necessary measures to deal with them wherever they may be. This will, in the long run, promote peace within the USA.
Consequently, it should be noted that the US has a long history of accepting refugees. At no one time has such refugees wrecked havoc into the country. In fact, all refugees have been quite cooperative with the government. They have been getting assimilated into the US cultural system regardless of their religious or cultural diversities. Therefore, no one should have a fear that allowing refugees into the country will be disastrous (Kerwin 53). In 1945, after the end of the World War II, the government decided to settle over 400,000 refugees from Eastern Europe, Vietnam and Cuba. Despite coming from communist nations, these refugees did not find it challenging to fit into the US society. Their cooperation can be used as proof that refugees can be friendly people who do not necessarily need to be feared. Therefore, it is recommended that the government should rely on such information before making a decision to accept refugees into the country. There are no unique traits of the Syrian refugees that will make them not to fit to be in USA (Long 147).
Moreover, the decision to accept refugees into the country will have long-term impacts on world peace. It is a common knowledge that the relationship between the USA and Arab nations has been deteriorating. This is because the USA has been selective in its war against terrorism. It has been mainly targeting Muslims who are perceived as terrorists or their sympathizers. All this will come to an end if the USA chooses to accept refugees from the Arab countries. It will benefit the nation by promoting a good relationship between it and the Arab world. Also, helping Muslim children will assist in bringing up a new generation of Muslim children who understand much about American culture (Long 133). By growing up in the US, theses children might no become terrorists because they do not get exposed to terrorist activities as they would otherwise be. This means that, in future, there will be no people to join terrorist groups thus making the world be peaceful once more.
Last, but not least, the government needs to accept refugees because it will not expose itself to further attacks as alleged. It is not possible for any terrorist to take advantage of the situation to enter the US as a refugee. The degree of scrutiny involved in the vetting of Syrian refugees can not give room for any terrorist to risk their lives. Not even ISIS can successfully go through the hands of the Defense and Homeland Security, FBI and National Counterterrorism Center. Further more, all refugees do not directly come to the country but referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a well-resourced UN agency that has potential to identify the most deserving individuals for consideration as refugees. Therefore, no refugee should be denied an opportunity to settle in the US under the pretense of pilfering terrorists into the country. The process is lengthy and can not fail to identify potential terrorists (Kerwin 47).
Conclusion
Although the US Constitution mandates the government to accept refugees into the country, concerns have been raised because the Obama Administration has been reluctant on allowing more refugees into the country. There are fears that refugees will cause insecurity and make the country vulnerable to terrorist attacks from dreaded outfits like ISIS (Kerwin 47). A similar position has been taken by other politicians who pile pressure on the government not to bring in refugees especially Syrians into the country. These refugees are harmless and should be accommodated into the country because they will easily adapt, cooperate and help the government to develop its economy, rebuild its damaged reputation and promote domestic and global security.
Works Cited
Czaika, Mathias, and Hein De Haas. “The effectiveness of immigration policies.” Population and Development Review 39.3 (2013): 487-508.
Kerwin, Donald. “The faltering US refugee protection system: legal and policy responses to refugees, asylum-seekers, and others in need of protection.” Refugee Survey Quarterly (2012): hdr019.
Kerwin, Donald. “The faltering US refugee protection system: legal and policy responses to refugees, asylum-seekers, and others in need of protection.” Refugee Survey Quarterly (2012): hdr019.
Long, Katy. “When refugees stopped being migrants: Movement, labour and humanitarian protection.” Migration Studies (2013): mns001.
Toma, Warda, and Jacqueline Bhabha. “Syrian refugees desperately need our help.” Canadian Medical Association Journal 185.16 (2013): 1464-1464.