The Syrian Refugee Crisis
Our role as an organization,
community and individual
Introduction
More than 250,000 Syrians have lost their
lives in four-and-a-half years of armed
conflict, which began with anti-government
protests before escalating into a full-scale
civil war.
 More than 11 million others have been
forced from their homes as forces loyal to
President Bashar al-Assad and those
opposed to his rule battle each other - as
well as jihadist militants from Islamic State.
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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868
Syria
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Capital: Demascus
Population 22.85 million (World Bank, 2013)
President: Bashar al-Assad
Official language: Arabic
Climate: varies from the Mediterranean type in the west to
extremely arid desert conditions in the east.
Ethnic Groups
• 90.3% of the population are
Arabs
•9.7% consists of the other
ethnic groups in the region
•Other Ethnic Groups:
• Assyrians
• Kurds (2nd Largest ethnic
Group)
• Armenians
• Turkmens
• Circassians
Religion
• 87 % of the population practise
Islam
•Sunni, Alawi, Ismaili and
Shia
•10% Practice Christianty
•Orthodox, Uniate, Nestorian
•3% Druze
• >1% Yazidism
Languages
• Arabic (Official Language)
• Kurdish
• Armenian
• Aramaic (old)
• Circassian (old)
• French
• English
What is “Islamic State” (IS)? - members
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IS members are jihadists who adhere to an
extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam and
consider themselves the only true believers.
They hold that the rest of the world is made
up of unbelievers who seek to destroy Islam,
justifying attacks against other Muslims and
non-Muslims alike.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29052144
What is “Islamic State” (IS)? - Origin
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2004 Al-Queda in Iraq (AQI)
2006 Islamic State in Iraq (ISI)
Al-Nusra front against president Bashar AlAssad
2013 Merge: Islamic State in Iraq and the
Levant (ISIS)
June, 2014 ISIS declared the creation of a
caliphate and changed its name to “Islamic
State” (IS)
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29052144
What is considered part of the Islamic State?
• IS territory is in
constant fluctuation,
trying to claim more
territory
• A small part is under
complete control,
especially larger cities,
infrastructure and
economic resources.
•Other areas are
completely destroyed
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27838034
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29052144
What is IS known for?
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Fear & Destruction
• IS rules with fear and destruction through beheadings,
crucifications and mass shootings
Access to weaponry
• Obtained in both legal and illegal ways
Wealth
• Initially through private donors, and charities. Currently
through oil reserves, kidnapping, robbing, looting and
taxation.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29052144
Life in Syria
Boys stand on buildings
damaged by Syrian
Government shelling in
the Syrian town of
Ma`arat al-Nu`man in
Idlib Province, April 5,
2014. Ma`arat alNu`man still receives fire
from Syrian Army forces
2km away, but is held by
the SRF (Syrian
Revolutionaries Front)
Source: http://socialdocumentary.net/exhibit/Nish_Nalbandian/2986
The Syrian Refugee Crisis
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The 1951 Refugee Convention spells out that
a refugee is someone who "owing to a wellfounded fear of being persecuted for reasons
of race, religion, nationality, membership of
a particular social group or political opinion,
is outside the country of his nationality, and
is unable to, or owing to such fear, is
unwilling to avail himself of the protection of
that country."
Source: http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c125.html
The Syrian Refugee Crisis
13.5 million people inside Syria need urgent help
 6.5 internally displaced
 Over 250,000 people have died in the conflict
 4.5 million Syrians have sought refuge in the
neighbouring countries.
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Source: http://www.international.gc.ca/development-developpement/humanitarian_responsesituations_crises/syria-syrie.aspx?lang=eng
April 5, 2014 - Atmeh,
Idlib, Syria: Men sit in
front of one of many
smaller tent cities. The
Atmeh camp sits just cross
the border from Turkey,
inside Syria. It is not one
organized camp, but a
series of small tent cities
that have sprung up since
the start of the war as
people began to be
displaced by fighting.
Estimates place the total
population of the camp at
around 30,000 persons.
(Nish Nalbandian/Polaris)
Source: http://socialdocumentary.net/exhibit/Nish_Nalbandian/2986
What is Canada doing?
• Welcoming 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February 2016
• 810 will be arriving in London, ON by this time.
•Majority will be Government Sponsored Refugees (GAR) but
there is also a lot of privately sponsored refugees arriving.
• Canada will focus on “vulnerable refugees who are a lower
security risk”
• Health and security screening will be completed before arriving
in Canada.
Source: http://www.international.gc.ca/development-developpement/humanitarian_responsesituations_crises/syria-syrie.aspx?lang=eng
Obstacles Faced by Newcomers
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Language
Culture Shock
Change in economic & social status
Family Dynamics
Isolation
Mental health
Racism, Discrimination, prejudice, stigma
Climate
Strengths and Resources
Adaptability
• Many Syrians have lived outside of the country before, or know
someone who has. Canada will not be their first stop on their long
journey. The Syrian refugees have been quite creative in other
countries such as Jordan and Turkey, where shops have been set
up by some of the refugees.
 Education
• You will find a wide range of educational background among the
Syrian refugees, including professionals. Many students will be
eager to finish their education, after it being on hold for several
years.
 Getting settled
• After having to move around, not knowing what the final
destination will be, most refugees will be eager to settle down and
make this place their new home.
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Source: http://www.teslontario.net/uploads/news/RefugeesfromSyriabackgrounderCulturalOrientationReso.pdf
5 Ways to Help
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Private sponsorship
Furniture donations: it can be quite costly to furnish an entire home
for a newly arrived family. Refugees do not have the chance to
bring along their belongings, and have to start all over. Government
sponsored refugees receive assistance through CCLC but additional
support is always welcomed.
Winter clothing: There is a high demand for winter clothing, from
coats to boots, socks, sweaters, hats mittens and scarves, for both
children and adults. These items can be new or gently used. For
some of the refugees, this might be their first snowy winter.
Kitchen and bathroom supplies: pots, pans, spices, utensil, towels,
toiletries such as toothbrushes, shampoo, and deodorant, again the
cost of these items add up
Your time is the most valuable item that you can donate.
What sort of help might a recently
arrived refugee need?
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Feel Welcomed
Getting Around
Conversational English
Patience
Professional Support
Simply being there
Source: Refugee action - UK
Diversity
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Cultural awareness
• Be sensitive to someone else’s culture. Take this as an
opportunity to learn something new and share your ideas
and experiences
Cultural differences
• Some things might be unfamiliar to you and vise versa.
The Syrian refugees will face many challenges due to the
cultural differences. This learning process takes time and
guidance
Diversity within Diversity
• While we might be able to agree about some common
ground, a single person from Canada could never
represent what it means to be Canadian. We all have our
own unique identity and experiences. It is the same for the
Syrian refugees: each story is different, as is the culture,
beliefs, goals, family dynamic etc.
Code of Ethics surrounding sponsoring
and supporting the Syrian Refugees.
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Right to self determination. We will respect and support the right of
the refugees to make their own decisions about their lives.
Right to privacy. We will respect the right of the client to privacy.
Competence. We will respect our duty to act competently (training,
cultural awareness, knowing your resources etc.)
Transparency. We will be transparent in our services, towards those
seeking support
Equity. We will strive to make our relationships as equitable as
possible, by being aware of power dynamics and guarding against risks
of abuse of power
Financial integrity. We will maintain integrity in financial and
business relationships and avoid actual or perceived conflicts of
interest.
Concluding support. We will work to ensure a satisfactory conclusion
to the support for all concerned
Provided by the Canadian Council for Refugees. Adopted in principle by the Working Group on
Overseas Protection and Sponsorship. Source: http://ccrweb.ca/en/code-ethics
Resources:
BBC news articles:
 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868
 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29052144
 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27838034
Syrian Images:
 http://socialdocumentary.net/exhibit/Nish_Nalbandian/2986
UNHCR
 http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c125.html
Canadian Government
 http://www.international.gc.ca/developmentdeveloppement/humanitarian_response-situations_crises/syriasyrie.aspx?lang=eng
Settlement
 http://www.teslontario.net/uploads/news/RefugeesfromSyriabackgrou
nderCulturalOrientationReso.pdf
 http://ccrweb.ca/en/code-ethics
Additional information has been provided by the London Cross Cultural
Learner Centre