The Third Factor
The third factor potentially driving heroin use is refugees trying
to regain self-worth as a vital means to recovery, but they are re-
jected by European society. It’s no secret that tolerance towards
those who are “different” is not always found in human society,
and Europe (like many societies) is not short on xenophobes.
This is particularly true with religious differences, as many
Muslims in Europe face daily discrimination. A young Muslim
growing up in western society will almost certainly face hostil-
ity of some kind. Of notable importance, young Muslim men
and boys will witness xenophobic actions and blatant bullying
against family and friends, who are already dealing with mental
trauma. An example might be a sister who is mocked and phys-
ically assaulted for wearing a hijab. The xenophobia may also
come from organized groups or government officials. In the
hijab example, antagonistic attitudes come from western femi-
nist groups who view the hijab as repression of women (even if
a Muslim woman wants to wear a hijab); entities like the French
government oppose public use of the hijab as a matter of nation-
al policy. According to a recent study found in the Bertelsmann
Stiftung's Religion Monitor (2017), a fifth of the European
population opposes the Muslim presence. However, there is
an even broader systemic problem. Yasemin El-Menouar, an
Islam expert at the Bertelsmann Stiftung, noted that "So far, no
country in Western Europe has found a convincing strategy that
addresses both equal opportunity, as well as respect for religious
diversity" (2017). While refugees can establish themselves in
a new homeland, they often face the opposing, and sometimes
hostile, twenty percent, which when combined with the trauma
of refugee experiences and loss of self-worth, may manifest as
a pattern of numbness or rebellious behavior. One must real-
ize that eventually young Muslim male refugees may feel the
need to protect their own. Furthermore, these young men are
followed by a generation of boys who see the same bullying, and
who will eventually grow into young men themselves.
The above refugee experiences, combined with the isolation
of being a foreign immigrant in an environment that may not
respect their common values or mental struggles, or which
blatantly wants them gone, create an environment for Syrian
refugees which may be unbearable. Most refugees simply want
to regain control of their own lives, values and dignity. Mon-
ey is the obvious answer to that problem, and the quicker one
can obtain money, the quicker the abhorrent refugee life can
end. This desire for quick money does not make someone a bad
person or inclined to be a drug trafficker. However, the present
condition of heroin abuse in Europe does create a temptation
for any person looking for quick financial success, let alone
those living in refugee conditions. When one correlates the
pre-existing condition of high heroin trafficking already occur-
ring in the region, along with the evolving conditions among
the refugee population, linkages exist.
The First Link and Fourth Factor
The first linkage is the desire to use heroin itself, which leads to
the 4th factor of the availability of heroin currently existing in
the region. Heroin trafficking in Europe is a practice established
long ago. The Europe Drug Report (2017) notes that since the
1970s and 1980s, sizable demands for cannabis, amphetamines,
and heroin have existed in many European countries. Accord-
ing to the report, heroin abuse seems to have trended downward
since 2007, perhaps due to the younger populations preferring
different drugs, but recent indications are that heroin is still
problematic and the decline has stopped; in fact, heroin-related
deaths are on the increase. Currently, five countries account for
three quarters (76 %) of the estimated high-risk opioid users in
Europe: Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and the United King-
dom (all countries with Syrian refugees, although Spain has
limited numbers) (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and
Drug Addiction, 2017, 51). The condition of arriving refugees
could add to the heroin-using population. Peter R. Coleman
from the Coleman Institute observed: “The problem with
opiates is that they are very powerful painkillers, and they numb
out negative emotions. When people use opiates, they feel ‘com-
fortably numb.’ They no longer feel anxiety, stress, anger, loneli-
ness, or boredom.” He further observed that “a huge part of the
reason for this high relapse rate is the fact that opiates relieve
emotional pain so well” (Coleman, 2016). Robert DuPont
(2000), in The Selfish Brain: Learning from Addiction, further
explains: “The opiate effect is one of calming, tranquilization,
and realization. Heroin acts directly on the brain’s opiate recep-
tors, triggering a warm glow, a sense of euphoria, and a self-cen-
tered loss of pain and distress” (p 176). Heroin is a marvelous
drug for not only eliminating physical pain but also emotional
suffering. To make matters worse, it is one of the most addictive
drugs in existence. This creates a whole new market in Europe as
refugees, who have just experienced some of the worst of human
suffering, flow into the region. Religious beliefs—the belief in
a higher deity and a higher purpose—can help deter drug abuse.
However, just as there is only so much physical pain the body
can endure before relief is needed, the same applies to mental
suffering. Thus, the first link between Syrian refugees and the
heroin trade is the possibility of some refugees turning to heroin
as users to relieve severe emotional pain.
The Second Link and Fifth Factor
The second link, and the 5th and final factor that creates the
possibility of Syrian refugees becoming involved in the heroin
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