The US Role in Recent Refugee Crisis: Security vs. Human Dimension

Abstract

Refugees’ problem is soaring globally, with the increase in political chaos. Earlier definitions of refugees are European centric; these have deficiencies that leave scope of defining or reforming it more elaborately and inclusively. Refugees have become subject of political manipulation. There is more than one definition of refugees that show political bias in administering and rehabilitating them like Palestinians and Syrians. Refugees’ status is exploited as proxies by powerful and resident countries, thus their treatment depends on the political shift of their handlers who influence International political regimes like UNRWA, UNHCR and others. Syrian conflict has become the biggest ever Refugee issue and requires special focus. International community remains selective in treating refugees; discriminating on religion and race. The crisis has highlighted US role in addressing the refugee issue and its policies. Refugees are subjected to coercive methods and are manipulated as proxies by the host or powerful country through host county to be recruited as their proxies. The aim of this article is to bring out the deficiencies in refugee policy, and to focus on the role of the International community, particularly the US, to formulate a comprehensive policy to address the issue.