Syrian Refugees Crisis

INTRODUCTION
The Syrian Refugee Crisis is certainly a hot-button issue today. It has been the subject of major political debate in the last federal election, with many criticising the Conservative Government for its slow speed, lack of commitment, and alleged cherry-picking attitude towards refugee resettlement. The Liberal Party, meanwhile, capitalized on the emotional atmosphere following the release of the photograph of the Syrian child, Alan Kurdi, dead on a Turkish beach; they pledged to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of 2015 if elected (Levitz 2016). Comments have been made by figures from both sides of the political spectrum, some deeply emotion while others racists or prejudiced. The public has raised numerous fears, both rational and irrational, of terrorism, burdens on the welfare system, and a rise in cultural and racial tensions. Even the American Senate got involved, with senators claiming that terrorists would enter Canada as refugees then infiltrate the United States, a claim that has later been debunked (Panetta 2016).
The months following the election has seen a frenzy of activity and mobilization to reach the promised 25,000 goal, with over 500 government officials stationed in
To do this, I will first provide some background of the Syrian Refugee crisis and examine the findings of a selection of literature addressing the past economic experiences of refugees settled in Canada. Then, I will evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of Canadian policies and make recommendations for improvements. This will lead to my main argument that while Canada performs well in providing basic social services for refugees to establish themselves in Canadian society, more work needs to be done in addressing the economic disadvantages and underemployment experienced by refugee