Be not afraid
In the weeks before Christmas, the prospect of Syrian refugees entering the United States unleashed an epidemic of fear and fearmongering, at least among many politicians. Alarmed that one of the suspects in the November terrorist attacks in Paris may have entered Europe using refugee status, two presidential candidates said they would block all Syrian Muslims from entering the country and admit only Christians. Candidate Ben Carson compared the threat of Syrian refugees to that of rabid dogs. More than half the nation’s governors said Syrian refugees are not welcome in their states.
Faced with one of the greatest refugee crises in modern history, in which some 11 million Syrians have been displaced, 4 million have fled their country, and 700,000—mostly women and children—have risked their lives to reach Europe, some Americans shrink from even the modest humanitarian response outlined by President Obama of resettling 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year.
Fear is an understandable reaction to danger, but it’s an unreliable guide to policy and, often, to our own well-being. As cooler heads have noted, the refugee application process already includes background checks, in-depth interviews, and vetting by the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, and the departments of state, defense, and homeland security. Refugees from Syria are already given additional scrutiny. The investigation takes from 18 to 24 months.
