Introduction
In 2011, anti-government protests began during a growing wave of the Arab uprising. Most of the protests were peaceful until government agencies reacted with violent crackdowns on opposition leaders and influential protestors.
Syria turned violent after rebels retaliated against the government’s violence with the help of army defectors. The Syrian crisis involved battles between the government and rebel groups, secular and Islamic extremists, as well as between different ethnic groups in the country. After several months of fighting, the Syrians caught in the war started moving out to neighboring countries as refugees.
Over 2.3 million Syrians have crossed the borders of their own country, while more than 6 million remained trapped in the country. More than 100,000 people died, property worth millions of dollars was destroyed, and over 6 million Syrians were displaced from their homes. The war attracted the attention of international communities, who are sending troops to fight rebels and Islamic extremists, as well as providing humanitarian aid to the affected families. The main concern of Homeland Security is the safety of Jordan and other countries from terrorist attacks of terrorists crossing borders disguised as refugees.
Syrian Refugees in Jordan and Bailout Program
According to Abrams, Jordan already hosts approximately 1 million Syrian refugees, some of who belong to ISIS and other Islamic jihad groups (par. 2). One of the biggest questions posed by security agencies is whether America has foolproof vetting processes on foreigners leaving Syria as refugees. In a statement by the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Jeh Johnson states that foreign jihads are trained in Syria and later cross to Jordan, and then to Europe and America as refugees (Jones par. 2). Syria is already a major concern for Homeland Security due to reports of ongoing training of foreigners by extremists, who later return to their countries as terrorists.
The first cases of Syrian refugees started with the entry of Syrians into Jordan to live with families and friends. When the number increased, the country created transit centers and refugee camps. However, Jordanians cited security risks when Syrian refugees were allowed to live with strangers. Additionally, the Syrian crisis has expanded to some parts of Jordan, especially along the borders. The refugee situation in Syria is captured in photographs from Turkey and Jordan.
Different media companies use the refugee camps in the two countries to demonstrate the plight of refugees, although it is estimated that over 80% of the refugees in the two countries live with friends, families, and strangers in urban centers.
What is the Impact of Refugees Exemption Programs?
Marsden questioned the relevance of letting in Syrians affected by war, instead of helping to make Syria safe for its citizens (par. 2). The Syrian refugee crisis poses a major threat to national and international security due to the possibility of moving terrorists along with refugees, especially due to the exceptions set on specific refugees. Marsden notes that despite America’s antiterrorism frameworks, the government has failed in various instances to curb the entry of terrorists (par. 6).
In one instance, the American refugees plan allowed Shareef Hammadi and Waad Ramada into Kentucky as free and clean citizens, only to realize their involvement with terrorist activities when it was too late. Such an incident puts into question the recent rushed move by the Obama administration to invite refugees from Syria to its neighboring countries.
Currently, America has already issued over 16,000 exemptions to Syrian refugees without considering the potential threat held to other countries. In a report by Jeh Johnson, security agencies realized that Syria is turning into a training ground for Islamic extremists, who later travel to other countries or are imported as refugees to neighboring countries (Jones par. 4). Exemptions to the Syrian crisis are comparable to the Somali refugee situation in the 90s when President Clinton transferred thousands of Somalis to America to protect them from the civil war in their country.
Consequences of Refugees Living Outside Camps
In a report by Oskam, Jordan accepted a security border program to identify and eliminate smugglers and militants posed as refugees (1). However, the greatest challenge for the system is the inability to present reliable information about the refugees fleeing from the war. In another report by Richard is reported that Jordan is struggling to meet the escalating demands for public services brought about by a huge influx of Syrians in the country (par. 3).
The report identified a growing need for water, electricity, and sanitation. Jordan is struggling to meet energy and water shortage because of an increasing number of Syrians moving from Syria to the country. Increasing poverty rates are associated with the growing number of extremist training in Syria.
Homeland security should be concerned about the specific activities and locations of the Syrian refugees. Based on reports by the secretary of Homeland security on the ongoing extremist trainings, there is a high chance of inflow of more extremists to Jordan. The estimated number of foreign fighters believed to have been trained in Syria is over 8000 people (Jones par. 4). The number of foreign terrorists increases depending on the location of trained foreigners and governments’ initiatives to track their activities. Currently, seventy American jihadists are believed to be trained in Syria. When Syrians move from the country as refugees, security experts have a fear that some of them may be terrorists intending to expand their activities in the country.
Tucker claims that Jordan is under stress due to the regional upheavals (par. 2). The security expert notes that the rate of ISIS expansion beyond the borders of Iraq and Syria poses a huge threat to Jordan. Tucker notes that Jordan’s refugee status increases its susceptibility to attacks from ISIS or any other terrorist group (par. 5). The country’s main population is Palestinian, while the northern region hosts thousands of Syrian refugees.
Jordan’s sociopolitical issues have increased the country’s susceptibility to attacks. Currently, the urban centers are becoming overpopulated as Syrian refugees relocate from camps in search of public services. The increasing inflow of refugees is considered as a threat of more attacks by terrorist groups with the aim of undermining Amman’s stability.
Reports from Jordan and Turkey show that the largest number of Syrian refugees resides outside the designated refugee camps. The reports indicate the possibility of having some Syrians attached to extremist groups extending their activities in Jordan, with the aim of undermining its stability and extending the Arab crisis to the country. Similarly, Richard identifies the need to have restructured systems and policies that govern the movement and activities of the Syrian refugees (par. 23). The move by the Jordanian government that allows Jordanians host refugees increases the country’s vulnerability to attacks.
The US security agents have identified Jordanian borders among the porous in the region. According to survey findings reported by Neimat, a majority of Jordanians want borders closed to prevent more Syrians from entering the country (par. 2). The report identifies concerns among Jordanians over the activities of the Syrian refugees once they move from refugee camps to live with friends, families, and well-wishers. Most Jordanians claimed that the presence of Syrian refugees outside the camps could initiate their collaborative activities with Syrian extremists and lead to multiple attacks on the Jordan nationals.
Additionally, the effect of Syrian refugees in Jordan on public services and utilities leads to the possibility of having a rise in the number of Islamic extremist sympathizers. Currently, most of the extremist groups have taken control of properties and businesses in Syria. They have also taken control over many financial sources, hence making them powerful and highly influential. Syrian refugees living outside the designated camps have the opportunity to communicate and establish links with extremist groups in order to fund their fellow citizens living as refugees.
Abrams notes that America is not doing enough to sustain Jordan’s refugee program (par. 6). The situation pushes the country into serious socio-economic challenges. In some instances, some of the Syrian refugees in Jordan are using that opportunity to seek asylum in Europe and other countries. The process is influenced by the lack of efficient monitoring systems of Syrian refugees who currently live in the country. When the refugees are allowed to live among other Jordanians, they may be involved in extremist activities and create new identities to enable them to move to Europe or America (Ryan 148). However, the porous borders increase the rate of movement from Jordan to Syria by the unmonitored refugees, some of whom may be members of extremist groups.
The country’s bailout policy increases opportunities for refugees’ movement to other countries. One of the considerations should be a strict monitoring and evaluation of refugees to ensure that anyone involved with extremist activities is identified before being allowed to move into the country. Jordan’s policy creates opportunities for terrorism by failing to monitor or restrict the refugees’ movement once they cross the border. Homeland security should follow the immigration laws and support Jordan in containing the Syrian refugees in the country. Containment will facilitate the evaluation of activities and identifying those with suspicious or sympathetic actions against the extremist groups.
Currently, America and other European countries have joined forces to fight ISIS. Homeland security has already identified porous borders in Jordan. Additionally, the bailout policy allows refugees to integrate with Jordanians, increasing the possibilities of attacks from sympathizers. The Jordan security measures set to identify and apprehend smugglers and sympathizers are not very effective. Porous borders are allowing thousands of Syrians to enter Jordan while providing extremists with opportunities to recruit and train foreigners, who later seek diplomatic interference to take them to their respective countries.
Security Situation
Syrian refugees are vetted and evaluated at all transit centers established by the Jordanian government to identify their affiliation with any extremist groups. Once vetted, the refugees are offered opportunities to search for friends and families or remain in refugee camps waiting for humanitarian aid from the international community (Huff and Roth 23). In case a foreigner enters a transit center, the agents communicate to respective countries to facilitate transport to countries of origin.
However, if the claims by the secretary of homeland security are accurate, some of the foreign refugees may be attached to extremist groups. Similarly, when refugees are allowed to live as free citizens in Jordan, the government losses control of their activities and engagement with extremist groups at home. For example, a Syrian sympathizer or trainee may enter Jordan as a refugee in order to establish a link between extremist groups in Syria and sympathizers in Jordan.
Such a situation could establish shadow extremist groups in Jordan without knowledge of the Jordanian government. During American exemption practices, some sympathizers are transferred to Europe and America. However, since the bailout program allows Syrians to interact with Jordanians and to engage in multiple activities without any external monitoring system, there are possibilities of extremist groups interfering with security databases to create clean identities.
Conclusion
The analysis identifies major threats to national and international security from Syrian refugees. The Jordanian refugee program allows refugees to interact with Jordanians and other communities. When refugees are allowed to live outside designated camps, there are possibilities of engaging in sympathizers’ activities in support of Islamic extremists. The refugees are provided with time and resources to change identities and move out of the country as Jordanians.
Additionally, the porous borders can facilitate coordination of Syrian refugees with extremist groups by providing funds and resources required by either team. The analysis also finds faults with America’s exemption programs that allow many Syrians to relocate to Europe and America. Jordan should initiate refugee monitoring program to prevent coordination with extremist groups and reduce chances of terrorist attacks in Amman and other regions.
Works Cited
Abrams, Elliott. “Syria: Humanitarian Disaster—and Security Threat“. Council on Foreighn Relations. Web.
Huff, Mickey and Andy Roth. Censored 2013: The Top Censored Stories and Media Analysis of 2011-2012. New York: Seven Stories Press, 2012. Print.
Jones, Susan. “Jeh Johnson: ‘Syria Has Become a Matter of Homeland Security‘”. CNC News.com. Web.
Marsden, Rachel. “Syrian refugee plan poses security risks”. Chicago Tribune. 2014. Web.
Neimat, Khaled. Most Jordanians want borders closed to Syrian refugees — survey. The Jordan Times. Web.
Oskam, Matt 2013, The Syrian Refugee Crisis and the Jordan Border Security Program (JBSP): An Example of Unintended Benefits. Web.
Richard, Anne. “The Syrian Refugee Crisis”. US Department of State. 2014. Web.
Ryan, Curtis R. “Jordanian Foreign Policy and the Arab Spring.” Middle East Policy 21.1 (2014): 144-153. Print.
Tucker, William. “The Potential ISIS Threat to Jordan. In Homeland Security“. 2014. Web.