REFUGEES ARE THE GREATEST CASUALTIES OF WAR
March 3, 2017
Civilians Are No Longer Off Limits in Today’s Armed Conflicts
A Syrian migrant holds a young girl in his arms upon arriving on a dinghy to the Greek island of Kos, Greece. Photo credit: Yannis Kolesidis for EPA Freedom House / Flickr
The world’s refugee problem continues to grow. As civilians are no longer off limits in today’s armed conflicts, they are fleeing their homes in droves and we can barely imagine how difficult their plight is.
In this week’s WhoWhatWhy podcast we talk to Kenneth Miller, who has devoted his life to tending to the psychological needs of refugees throughout the world. He notes that social media makes us more aware than ever of their plight but it also fuels greater fear and misunderstanding. Miller points out the important distinction between refugees and immigrants and reminds us that unlike immigrants, who make a choice, refugees can’t stay in their homeland without being subjected to violence or even death.
While they are eyed with suspicion, data indicate that refugees can be a boon to their new home countries. Statistics show that the crime rate among refugees in the US and in Germany is far lower than that of the general population.To date, the number of Americans killed by refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan or any of the seven countries covered by President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting travel is exactly zero!
And while they often arrive suffering from grief, depression and trauma, new therapies and welcoming communities have been the most healing.
