# 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:** 8
**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, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/141 "2015-11-19T22:00:25Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > 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. So, you admit that they haven’t done anything yet, but you are absolutely certain that they are going to, because…? ---
**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, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/142 "2015-11-19T22:00:30Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > They all have one thing in common…islam. See, I feel like there should be a thunder crash or at least a scare chord at the end there. But all I hear’s a sad trombone. ---
**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, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/143 "2015-11-19T22:02:15Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > There should be. And yet they have done nothing. Kinda pokes a hole in your argument. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/144 "2015-11-19T22:05:53Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > They all have one thing in common…islam. Are you at all aware that followers of ISIS apparently consider any muslim who has not pledged allegiance to them to be an apostate? ---
**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, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/145 "2015-11-19T22:08:39Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > See, I feel like there should be a thunder crash or at least a scare chord at the end there. But all I hear’s a sad trombone. Or a record scratch. ---
**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, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/146 "2015-11-19T22:27:40Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > So, you admit that they haven’t done anything yet, but you are absolutely certain that they are going to, because…? I never said I was certain. No one can be certain even the ones who offer up the US. ---
**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, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/147 "2015-11-19T23:04:54Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > They all have one thing in common…islam. And you know what Timothy Veigh, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Hitler all had in common? Christianity. Maybe we should prevent Christians from immigrating. Muslims are not bad-SF clones. They are not all alike. You’re condemning the whole orchard because of a very few bad apples. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/148 "2015-11-19T23:08:23Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [We do.](http://www.state.gov/j/prm/releases/statistics/) I know but I think we should do more. In regards to those translators still in Afghanistan and Iraq waiting for this process, I tell the U.S to freaking get the phuck on it! My God admit them in already! Also another reason we should bring in refugees is that ISIS is better off recruiting nationals in Europe. More so when a national of one EU nation(Belgium) can easily cross into another(France). Much easier for terrorists than relying on Syrian refugees. ---
**Author:** ![Grsz11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Grsz11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grsz11)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/149 "2015-11-19T23:16:04Z")
Syrian youth are far more likely to be radicalized in a refugee camp, where they have nothing to do and insufficient basic necessities, where radical elements have easy access and they can see that the West is doing nothing to help resolve situation than they are in an American high school. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/150 "2015-11-19T23:32:07Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > Indeed. Assad started this war. Assad has killed more Syrians than anyone. It is incredible to me that some Americans want to ally with him, or to include him in an attempted “peace” plan. There will be no peace in (the former) Syria as long as Assad involved, nor should be. Count me in with agreeing with you and Up-the-Junction in that Assad is a major problem in all this. Too bad many fail to see all this because they are only focused on ISIS. Ultimately Assad himself will find that despite Western nations and Russia going after ISIS, he will come to the bitter realization that no amount alliance with any outside force will defeat the rebellion against his rule. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/151 "2015-11-20T01:53:40Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > 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. Yip. It’s one of the most clear cut cases I’ve seen. There’s not even a religious counterargument. Even the libertarian position is that we should accept refugees. And I do not agree that the risk will noticeably increase. People seem to think that we just accept them without vetting them, when we have a process that can take quite a while. And, once they get here, it’s not like we’ll stop watching. There has not been a single case of the U.S. accepting refugees who then went on to commit an act of terror. And we’ve accepted refugees for quite a long time. This isn’t our first rodeo. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/152 "2015-11-20T02:14:48Z")
Of course we should. There is zero benefit to the USA for accepting Syrian “refugees.” American immigration policy should be designed to benefit Americans, not people from other countries. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/153 "2015-11-20T04:05:39Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > Of course we should. There is zero benefit to the USA for accepting Syrian “refugees.” American immigration policy should be designed to benefit Americans, not people from other countries. You realize that immigration policy is different than refugee policy? ---
**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 20, 2015, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/154 "2015-11-20T06:54:10Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > Of course we should. There is zero benefit to the USA for accepting Syrian “refugees.” American immigration policy should be designed to benefit Americans, not people from other countries. Funny, that’s what they said about the Irish too. And the Italians. Oh, and the Poles, the Chinese, the Koreans, the Vietnamese, the Cubans, the Jews… Turns out it’s cheap workforce, small business owners and taxpayers all the way down. ---
**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 20, 2015, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/155 "2015-11-20T07:56:04Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > Of course we should. There is zero benefit to the USA for accepting Syrian “refugees.” American immigration policy should be designed to benefit Americans, not people from other countries. Loose the scare quotes. And stop ignoring the fact that, aside from the tiny minority of surviving Natives, _everyone_ in America is, originally, “people from other countries”. ---
**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 20, 2015, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/156 "2015-11-20T08:00:16Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Are you aware we’re letting in thousands of Iranians every year? > Why no freak out about that? Not to mention thousands of Belgians and Frenchmen - the very people who shot up Paris ! ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/157 "2015-11-21T07:40:49Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Funny, that’s what they said about the Irish too. And the Italians. Oh, and the Poles, the Chinese, the Koreans, the Vietnamese, the Cubans, the Jews… > Turns out it’s cheap workforce, small business owners and taxpayers all the way down. I don’t believe “they” said it nearly as much as cultural leftists are constantly asserting, but to the extent that “they” did, they were basically right. > [@Broomstick](#): > > Loose the scare quotes. > > And stop ignoring the fact that, aside from the tiny minority of surviving Natives, _everyone_ in America is, originally, “people from other countries”. I’ve always wondered why Native Americans get a pass from leftists on the accusation that one isn’t really “from” here if one has ancestors who were not from here. We’re told that Native Americans’ ancestors migrated from Asia around 15,000 years ago, so I guess they are, originally, “people from other countries” too. Or is there some magic reason why 15,000 years “counts,” but 250 years doesn’t? ---
**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 21, 2015, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/158 "2015-11-21T08:29:07Z")
They’re “from here” because they were the first here. Hence the term “First Nations” heard up north of the US. Of course, this sort of ignores the fact that the history of North America has had plenty of instances of one group displacing another - the exact group at any one point when the Europeans arrived may or may not have been truly the first group there. Basically, the Natives are assumed to have moved into empty territory, not displaced other people. If you want to exclude moving into virgin territory, then everyone in the two Americans, Australia, Asia, and Europe are _also_ “from other countries” - basically from Africa, which is the native home of the human race. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/159 "2015-11-23T06:23:41Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > They’re “from here” because they were the first here. Hence the term “First Nations” heard up north of the US. > > Of course, this sort of ignores the fact that the history of North America has had plenty of instances of one group displacing another - the exact group at any one point when the Europeans arrived may or may not have been truly the first group there. > > Basically, the Natives are assumed to have moved into empty territory, not displaced other people. > > If you want to exclude moving into virgin territory, then everyone in the two Americans, Australia, Asia, and Europe are _also_ “from other countries” - basically from Africa, which is the native home of the human race. I’m not the one who wants to exclude that. That would be leftists, who want to delegitimize white America. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2015, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780/160 "2015-11-23T07:19:32Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Loose the scare quotes. Our scare quotes will blot out the sun. Then we shall debate in the shade. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-western-nations-halt-immigration-from-syrian-refugees/737780.md?page=9)