Human Rights and Migration: The Case of the Syrian Arab Republic (Essay Sample)

HUMAN RIGHTS AND MIGRATION: THE CASE OF THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
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1 INTRODUCTION
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a refugee is someone who has been compelled to escape their country due to persecution, conflict, or violence. Asylum seekers are people seeking protection from outside their home countries under international law. To explore more about human rights and migration, the main focus is on the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria) in the case study. The Syrian civil war, which started in 2011 and has resulted in the death of over 250,000 Syrians, is one of the largest humanitarian crises in decades, affecting millions of people both inside and outside of Syria. Due to the violence in Syria, many people are fleeing the country and seeking asylum elsewhere. The Syrian Arab Republic migrants seek refuge in various countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and European countries; however, the main focus is on the United Kingdom in this case study. In September 2021, it recorded the top five with 2,303 asylum seeker applications in the United Kingdom (U.K). The case study aims to define the different forms of forced migration the human rights in Syria and examine asylum applications to the U.K. from Syria.
2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
2.1 Different forms of forced migration
There are three main types of forced migration from Syria to the U.K. that is asylum seekers, victims of trafficking for exploitation, and refugees. In the United Kingdom, according to Home Office Statistics (2015), over 30,000 Syrian nationals applied for asylum between April 2011 and March 2015 11,633 were granted humanitarian protection (Kreichauf, 2018).
2.1.1 Refugees Resettlement (humanitarian route)
Refugees' resettlement means giving refugees a permanent home in another country where they can start their lives again. It is caused by war, violence, or persecution that forces people to flee their homes. This can lead to displacement within countries (internally displaced persons) or across borders (refugees). In the case of Syrian to U.K. refugees, resettlement policy responses are taken up by national governments, which then work with UNHCR to identify candidates for resettlement. Refugees' resettlement is a complex process requiring cooperation between UNHCR, governments, and civil society organizations to identify, register, and support refugees and their families. To be considered for resettlement, a refugee must meet certain criteria set out by national governments and UNHCR. The Syrian Arab Republic to U.K. migration patterns shows that most Syrian Arab Republic to U.K. migrants are young adults aged between 18 and 30 years old. Most come from Damascus, Aleppo, and Homs (Smith et al., 2022). The U.K. has committed to taking 20 000 Syrian refugees by 2020. As part of the U.K. resettlement programme, the government provides each refugee with housing; each refugee is provided with temporary accommodation for at least six months while they look for somewhere else to live (Karyotis et al., 2021). Hence, with involuntary refugee resettlements, refugees are right489585000moved from their country of origin forcibly.
Source: UNHCR
2.1.2 Human Trafficking (commercial/organized crime route)
Human trafficking takes on various forms, including but not limited to enforced labour and services, sexual exploitation, removal of organs; slavery and servitude. Human trafficking may also include recruitment into armed conflicts (such as a civil war), criminality (such as money laundering), or irregular migration. Human Trafficking is caused by many factors, ranging from poverty to gender discrimination. The policy responses by the U.K. government have been inadequate and largely reactionary. For example, from 2010-to 11, there was an increase in media attention on female genital mutilation (FGM) (Yousaf, 2018). The human trafficking patterns in Syria to the U.K. migration routes are quite complex as traffickers use several routes. In Syria, the number of humans trafficked to the U.K. each year is unknown due to a lack of research. In 2013, an estimated 468 000 people worldwide were living in conditions of modern slavery. An estimated 24 000 people are trafficked each year into Europe alone. Although precise figures cannot be obtained due to their hidden nature, it is believed that more than half of those entering Europe are victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation. In contrast, others suffer forced labour or domestic servitude once they arrive (Béres, 2022).
2.1.3 Illegal immigration
There are now large numbers of migrants from Syria in Europe. Most illegal immigrants tend to enter Europe through Italy and Spain. The policy response by the U.K. government towards illegal immigrants has been harsh. On 28th May 2013, Prime Minister David Cameron announced plans to create a new offense of illegal working, with fines of up to £20 000 for employers who hire undocumented migrants. This law came into force on 6 April 2014 and made it easier for home