# Should Western Nations halt immigration from Syrian Refugees? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 17, 2015, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780 "2015-11-17T04:00:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/121 "2015-11-19T18:19:53Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > Disbanded in 1948… hardly the same thing as now. It was not directed against the US. I don’t care about the Russian revolution. I care about the US. Now. How do we feel about Scottish refugees? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/122 "2015-11-19T18:25:49Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > Disbanded in 1948… hardly the same thing as now. It was not directed against the US. I don’t care about the Russian revolution. I care about the US. Now. Yes, but follow your own argument please. You were saying that equating the case of Syrian 'fugees today with the plight of the Jews in 1938 was wrong because the Jews fleeing from Germany were not engaged in terrorism against the nations they were asking for asylum. Which they were, or at least, the refugees had the same distant relationship with Zionist terrorists than Syrian refugees have with Islamic terrorists : they shared a religion and… well that’s about it, really. Although of course the comparison is not 1:1, because Zionist terrorists of the 30s were not also busy blowing up Polish Jews for not being Zionist enough… The Brits took (some of them) in regardless, and they were being bombed to shit at the time. Because they’re classy like that. Also, not sociopaths. Beyond that if you think Jewish terrorism doesn’t exist today, maybe try and Google it, save us all the trouble ? [QUOTE=up\_the\_junction] I heard one refugee threw a carrot at a US charity rep in a border camp. [/QUOTE] Ah. Well, that’s why there oughta be a stricter legislation of concealed carrots. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/123 "2015-11-19T18:26:17Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > Oh and not to mention it’s just the right thing to do morally. Besides Syrians we should also take in Iraqis, we screwed up their nation. [We do.](http://www.state.gov/j/prm/releases/statistics/) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/124 "2015-11-19T18:35:19Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Ah. Well, that’s why there oughta be a stricter legislation of concealed carrots. Oh sure. And leave us defenseless from the threat of Elmer Fudd. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/125 "2015-11-19T18:37:02Z")
Any politician that labels Carrot Top as a weapon of mass destruction and an enemy combatant has my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/126 "2015-11-19T18:44:56Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Yes, but follow your own argument please. You were saying that equating the case of Syrian 'fugees today with the plight of the Jews in 1938 was wrong because the Jews fleeing from Germany were not engaged in terrorism against the nations they were asking for asylum. Which they were, or at least, the refugees had the same distant relationship with Zionist terrorists than Syrian refugees have with Islamic terrorists : they shared a religion and… well that’s about it, really. > Although of course the comparison is not 1:1, because Zionist terrorists of the 30s were not also busy blowing up Polish Jews for not being Zionist enough… > > The Brits took (some of them) in regardless, and they were being bombed to shit at the time. Because they’re classy like that. Also, not sociopaths. > > Beyond that if you think Jewish terrorism doesn’t exist today, maybe try and Google it, save us all the trouble ? > . The issue is NOW, not then. Jews are not flying airplanes into AMERICAN buildings. Muslims are. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/127 "2015-11-19T18:48:09Z")
Is there some special circumstance related to Syrian refugees now that didn’t’ exist say, 6 months ago? I’m not seeing why the status quo needs to be changed RIGHT NOW to either accept more or less refugees. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/128 "2015-11-19T18:52:24Z")
Not exactly. It’s just becoming an issue now because of Paris-related panic. The Administration announced its plan to accept 10,000 refugees in early September. There are some factors making it a more immediate concern: neighboring states are largely turning refugees away now because they are stretched to the limit accommodating the ones who are there. > [@Oddball\_92](#): > > The issue is NOW, not then. Jews are not flying airplanes into AMERICAN buildings. Muslims are. 14 years ago seems like a generous interpretation of “NOW.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/129 "2015-11-19T18:55:28Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > The issue is NOW, not then. Jews are not flying airplanes into AMERICAN buildings. Muslims are. Got a recent incident or are you living in the past? At any rate, those weren’t Syrians, they weren’t refugees (student visas, I think) and that was 14 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/130 "2015-11-19T18:56:24Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > Disbanded in 1948… hardly the same thing Yes, and the leaders of the Irgun and Lehi went on to become PMs of Israel and form the most dominant political party in Israel since the 1970s. None of that is meant as an attack on Jews or Israelis just noting that all groups have people who do offensive things. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/131 "2015-11-19T18:59:46Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > And…there is no possible way the US can do thorough background checks on 10000 people. No way. It would take years. Our government isn’t competent enough. The planned cap for 2015 is something like 85,000, so 10,000 isn’t some wildly impossible number. As this war has been going on for 4 years, I’d assume that a good number of people are partially through the process. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/132 "2015-11-19T19:01:07Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/133 "2015-11-19T19:28:02Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > This is no comparison at all. Jewish people have not declared jihad against all who are not Jew. Jewish do not wish to kill non-jews. Jews have not and did not commit terrorist acts against the very country that want to come to. That’s absolutely true. Of course, it’s also true that the refugees have not declared jihad against all non-refugees, and have not committed terrorist acts against the very country they want to come to. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/134 "2015-11-19T19:31:30Z")
This is one of those in which I’m afraid the Left has the better argument, start to finish. From a moral and practical perspective, we should be reaching out to help refugees, not barring the door. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/135 "2015-11-19T21:10:26Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > Is there some special circumstance related to Syrian refugees now that didn’t’ exist say, 6 months ago? I’m not seeing why the status quo needs to be changed RIGHT NOW to either accept more or less refugees. Well, there are a _lot more_ people of Syrian extraction trying to flee the general region than six months ago… which might indicate conditions in Syria and nearby are deteriorating. But… other than that, no. It’s just there are more refugees in total numbers now. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/136 "2015-11-19T21:12:07Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > The issue is NOW, not then. Jews are not flying airplanes into AMERICAN buildings. Muslims are. > [@running\_coach](#): > > Got a recent incident or are you living in the past? > > At any rate, those weren’t Syrians, they weren’t refugees (student visas, I think) and that was 14 years ago. Valid student visas, no fraud committed when applying for them, and most of the 9/11 guys were from Saudi Arabia, none that I recall from Syria. ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/137 "2015-11-19T21:46:55Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Valid student visas, no fraud committed when applying for them, and most of the 9/11 guys were from Saudi Arabia, none that I recall from Syria. They all have one thing in common…islam. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/138 "2015-11-19T21:49:18Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > They all have one thing in common…islam. Are you aware we’re letting in thousands of Iranians every year? Why no freak out about that? ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/139 "2015-11-19T21:49:33Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > That’s absolutely true. > > Of course, it’s also true that the refugees have not declared jihad against all non-refugees, and have not committed terrorist acts against the very country they want to come to. Well, they’re not THAT stupid to stand up and declare they are going to commit terrorist acts against the US while they are waiting for the bus that brings them here. ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/140 "2015-11-19T21:50:40Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Are you aware we’re letting in thousands of Iranians every year? > Why no freak out about that? There should be. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780.md?page=8)