Homeless Refugees In America

If the refugees are not on welfare, their inability to speak English and smoothly integrate into society could not only prevent them from getting jobs, but also land them on the streets. Consequently, taking refugees from one bad situation and placing them in another would be like making these people choose between the lesser of two evils. Yes, most of the refugees will be on welfare, and yes, the number of homeless refugees will not be many, but the ones that do end up adding to the homeless population of the United States will end up being economic drags as well as moral burdens to the country. If America cannot take care of its homeless veterans, then it is evident that it is not economically stable enough to properly take care of these
outsiders. Additionally, not knowing English would not be the only obstacle that refugees face when it comes to integrating with the American people. A large number of the American population is against the letting in of refugees, as, “56 percent of Democrats support admitting Syrian refugees,” and, “only 18 percent of Republicans do,” (LaFranchi). 56 percent is only a little more than half, showing that the letting in of Syrian refugees in not widely popular in the U.S. Moreover, “public opinion polls similarly showed that a clear majority of Americans agreed with keeping Syrian refugees out of their states,” (Grieder 18). With so many people being anti-refugee, the Syrians would not be well-received in the first place, and they may experience many negative feeling from Americans, thus causing social tensions to rise. Consequently, with social tensions rising, it would be even harder for the refugees to integrate smoothly into society and find jobs.
The culture difference, as well as rising social tensions, would prevent the refugees from letting the refugees integrate seamlessly into society. Even some of the most broad-minded people, “think it a mistake for a society to accept large numbers of refugees from a very different culture,” (Patterson 12). Being almost rejected by a society puts a mental strain on the refugees, and makes the members of society uncomfortable. Other than the security and economic concerns, America must be socially ready to accept the refugees before they
come. The monetary factor of the whole refugee crisis is also a significant thing to consider. High Commissioner Ruud Lubbers states that “While needs are growing, the agency is finding it increasingly difficult to obtain the resources necessary to attend to the missions of refugees,” (Haerens). Currently, the United States is in trillions of dollars of debt and is struggling to keep its citizens happy and off the streets. There is always the possibility of refugee camps, but those also require money and are not a pleasant experience for the refugees. With growing needs comes an increasing need for more money. If America was not in trillions of dollars in debt and not struggling to support its country, then the possibility of successfully helping refugees could be greater. However, the problem in this situation is not just the growing needs of the Syrians, but the lack of money America must spend on them. Just providing shelter and food for, “one or even two million refugees would cost billions of dollars,” (Miller). In fact, according to the Center of Immigration Studies, “each Middle Eastern refugee resettled in the United States costs an estimated $64,370 in the first five years” (Zeigler and Camarota). That is roughly twelve thousand dollars spent on each refugee per year, and there are many refugees that need to be taken care of. America’s economy is fragile, and this country cannot risk spending billions of dollars it does not have on people that aren’t even its citizens. Many know that the Syrian refugees are in dire need of help and aid from other countries, as they are fleeing from a war-ravaged country.
The unsanitary and cramped camps that they are currently staying in in neighboring countries, when compared to the violence the Syrians faced back in their country, are the lesser of two evils. Yes, millions of refugees need better conditions to live in until their country is safe, but, now, America is not the right place for those refugees to be. ISIS, which has most its members in Syria, causes a security concern far too great for the U.S. to ignore, the economy is not strong enough to support a mass influx of refugees, high social tensions would create problems, and the lack of monetary resources could leave America unable to provide for the refugee’s
needs. With the brutal Syrian civil war showing no signs of stopping whatsoever, the number of refugees needing better places to stay for the long-term is steadily growing. However, in other countries, a massive number of refugees living in a country has only done damage. With the security concerns threatening the well-being of America’s citizens, the economic concerns putting the U.S. economy at stake, the current social tensions rising, and the lack of money to support the refugees, it would be a huge mistake for the United States to accept these people. In America’s volatile state, it would be wrong to take in many refugees. Maybe in the future, when there is less risk associated with letting in refugees and America is more stable, this country will be able to help those in need.

Works Cited
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