Got Immigration Problems? Fix Foreign Policy First
As Syria begins to collapse into another civil war, western nations brace for the inevitable surge of Syrian refugees to their borders. Amid a national immigration crisis, America should consider how its own foreign policy perpetuates this problem.
Over 1,500 people have been killed since the clashes earlier in March, including 1,000 civilians. Many call it the worst violence we’ve seen since Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December, yet it’s nothing new for those monitoring the situation since the Arab Spring.
In America, immigration discussions among both political camps overlook how U.S. foreign policy contributes to the growing problem. Syria’s fourteen-year conflict demonstrates how American hard power intervention worsens conditions on the ground for civilians, prompts mass migration, and enables extremists to assume control. Since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, more than fourteen million Syrians have fled the country, with many now residing in neighboring Lebanon and European countries. Politicians refuse to acknowledge the policies that created this crisis, including military intervention, economic sanctions, and aid to extremist groups—all of which drove civilians to seek refuge.
