Can Russia Stand Syrian Refugees?

BBC: President Vladimir Putin

Writer: Aaron Neogy is an outspoken researcher that uses Teens 4 Refugees to spread his opinions about how the world responds to refugees. 

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     As many of you know, due to the unfortunate terrorist events of Syria and other neighboring middle eastern countries, there has been a huge influx of Syrian refugees trying to escape, with the problem being relocation. This has created quite the situation for the world, especially in North America and European countries who are deciding what to do with this huge migration of immigrants. America had called on them to come with open arms, Obama even calling them “latter-day pilgrims”, until recent Pari attacks when it closed its gates . A couple of european countries aren’t showing as much kindness. Russia is not being as accepting as we would hope a power country to be.
    Russia is refusing to join any attempts of helping Syrian refugees, and is blaming “Western forces” for this migration crisis. Trickles of immigrants have come up to Russia, hoping to be accepted, but end up being sent back or having to live in hiding without real documents. So far out all these migrants, only 2 have been granted asylum by the country, and there is no prospect of the situation bettering in the future. According to Interfax news agency, Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, stated “It’s hardly likely Russia will join any future programs to help refugees”when asked about Russia’s future engagements. Like most other countries Russia's primary concern is the infiltration of the country by terrorists who enter on the pretense of being refugees.
     Nevertheless, the Kremlin has backed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad with military support by sending a large amount of Russian troops to Syria, as well as a supply of weapons.  Their role is brutally summarized as the protection of their own Russian naval facility at Tartous, on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, and to provide training and expertise for the regime’s forces, which are responsible for the great majority of civilian deaths.  
Syrian battles continue to worsen with the help of Russians who aid the Syrian army that puts down the rebellions of citizens as well as creates chaos through their wars with other warring factions such as the Kurds.  In an interview with Bashar al-Zouabi, a top rebel commander, CNN records that the rebel army is able to confront regime forces on the ground, but are not able to withstand the Russian air campaign and are forced to withdraw from battles when the Russian weaponry dominates theirs. “The Russians are killing in the north and the south. They claimed to have come to Syria to fight ISIS but most of their strikes have targeted the moderate Syrian opposition” says al-Zouabi.  In and around the city of Daraa, civilians live in a state of fear. Even the minority of people who have stayed throughout the battles are now being forced to leave due to the Russian airstrikes that go on day and night. Al-Zouabi predicts a humanitarian catastrophe if the Russian air campaign continues unabated. "We hold western countries, especially the United States, responsible for the humanitarian disaster because only the U.S. can stop the Russians," he says. So it’s about time we pick our heads up and take action against the the only other superpower that has the power to turn a war around.