Team#52854 Page4of33
Assumptions,Decisions,andFindings
1. Ourplanofactionwilldealwithrefugeesasdefinedbythe1951GenevaConvention.
Millionsofpeoplethroughouttheworldarenotclassifiedasrefugees,butareindireneedof
humanitarianassistance.TheUNreferstothesepeopleasPeopleofConcern.Ofthe10.8million
PeopleofConcernwhohavebeenaffectedbytheSyrianCivilWar,only4millionareclassified
asrefugees;theother6.8millionareinternallydisplaced,meaningthattheyhavehadtoleave
theirhomesbecauseofthethreatofviolence.However,becausewearedevelopingaplanfor
hostingcountriestoresettleandintegraterefugeesintosociety,wefocusedondealingwiththe
personswhofallunderthetermrefugeebasedoninternationallyagreedupondefinitions[1].
2. Syrianrefugeesarethemainpopulationofconcern.
In2015,morerefugeesfledfromSyriathananyothercountryintheworld.TheSyrianCivilWar
hascreatedamassemigrationcrisiswithmorethantwiceasmanyasylumseekersheadingto
EuropefromSyriacomparedtoAfghanistan,thesecondcountryonthelist.Asaresultofthis
drasticincrease,theUNHCRhasdevotedspecialattentiontothehumanitarianneedsofpeopleof
concerninSyria.Withnovisibleresolutiontothewarinthenearfuture,itislikelythatthe
Syriancrisiswillcontinuetodominatetherefugeescene.Forthesereasons,ourteamdecidedthat
aplanfocusingonSyrianrefugeeswouldbemostusefultotheUNinthenextfewyears.[2]
3. TheplanwedevelopedmainlyconcernsEuropeancountriesandTurkey.Asofnow,around
4millionSyrianrefugeesresideinneighboringcountriesintheMiddleEast,anumberfargreater
thanthepopulationofrefugeesinEurope,whichisestimatedtobealittlemorethanamillion.
Thesecountries,whichincludeTurkey,Lebanon,Iraq,andEgypt,havetakeninfarmore
refugeesthoughtheyarenotclassifiedas“developedcountries.”Asaresult,theUNhasenacted
aregionalplanthrough2017inordertoassistthesecountries.Ontheotherhand,therefugee
situationinGreeceiscontinuingtodeteriorateand“couldstillbringdownEurope”[3,4].
However,becauseofTurkey’scloserelationshiptotheEUanditsroleasthemainpathrefugees
takeonthewaytoEurope,itplaysamajorroleinourplan[5].
4. HungaryandGreecewillnotacceptadditionalrefugeesinarealisticscenario.The
combinationofitsrecenteconomiccollapseandthehugeinfluxofrefugeescrossingthewater
fromTurkeyhavevirtuallyincapacitatedGreece,anditissafetoassumethatitwillnotbeableto
provideformanymorerefugeesinthenearfuture.Hungary,whichhasbeentherouteofchoice
formanyrefugeesgoingtoGermany,hasexpressedthattheydonotsupporttherefugee
resettlementplansproposedbytheEU.Whilethesetwocountrieshavebeenessentialinrefugee
movementandwouldideallyparticipateintheplanwehavedeveloped,assumingthattheywould
becapableorwanttohelpfurtherwouldbeignoringreality[4,6].
5. Refugeesdonotchoosewhichcountriestheyaresettledin,theyaretoldthisbytheUNHCR
andotherorganizinggroups.Weknowthatideallyeveryonewouldbeabletochoosewhere
theywanttogo,butthisisnotpossiblebecauseofthestateofcrisis.Savingmorelivesandbeing
fairtohostingcountriesoverridesthisinrelevantimmigrationpolicies[7].
6. WewillconsiderthethreemostpopularroutestoEurope.ThevastmajorityofSyrian
refugeesattempttoreachEuropebytakinglandroutestoTurkey,Syria’snextdoorneighbor,and
subsequentlysailingtoGreece.Otherstakethemostdangerousroutetravelingbylandtothe
NorthAfricancoastandthensailingovertheMediterraneanandaverysmallnumbercrossover
toSpainafterreachingMorocco.Thoughrefugeesmaytakemanyvariationsoftheseroutes,we