Intervention Options
While this scenario is plausible, it is not automatic, and is avoid-
able with informed intervention that involves understanding
the values of both refugees and European citizens. The refugees
want a normal life, which would include mental health support.
The ability to get refugees out of camps and into a legitimate job
market can help provide the stability and control of their own
destiny. This is difficult considering Europeans residents are
migrating on their own continent for jobs, and now may find
themselves on a long waiting list behind refugees. The current
situation is overwhelming for any organization or governmental
agency attempting to find jobs for all. United Nations agencies
and NGO partners created the Regional Refugee and Resilience
Plan (3RP) to assist Syrian refugees in Turkey and locations
outside Europe. Unfortunately, as of April 4, 2017, only 9% of
the funding of the $4.63 billion required is available (United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees & United Nations
Development Programme, April 4).
Additionally, refugees must feel safe in society, and offering
simple respect towards their culture can pay huge dividends
in terms of integration and social stability. Being bullied or
chastised because of a hijab, an Arabic name, or other xenopho-
bic reaction alienates the refugees from society. Labels such as
“all Muslims are terrorist", or blaming an entire population for
the actions of a few individuals who commit terrorist acts in
the west, only makes both sides more paranoid. Respect begets
respect.
Reciprocally, the refugees must accept that they are in a differ-
ent culture now, with different norms and laws. Human values
are basically the same; justice and human rights. However,
cultures have differences, and understanding and respecting the
norms and laws of western culture are important if they want
to be integrated and accepted. Women are treated significantly
different in the west, a matter which gained public attention as
a sore point in the west. Muslim men need to understand their
interaction with western women will be different than in their
previous society. New Syrian inhabitants in Europe must also
become their own first line of defense. No one knows better
what goes on in one’s community than those living in it, thus
they become the most apt at being the guardians of themselves.
If the new Syrian inhabitants see drug use, drug trafficking, or
other criminal activities taking root, they must be the first to
eliminate it.
Change is constant. How society reacts to change, indicates how
well it will survive the change. Waiting to see if a drug problem
commences, will hinder attempts to police it afterwards. Drug
problems need immediate policing before the problem gets
rooted in society. To aggravate the issue, should the trafficking
of heroin evolve among the Syrian refugee population, it is
likely an amphetamine problem will follow. Drug traffickers
are savvy capitalists, and are usually involved in more than one
type of crime (UNODC, Booklet 1, 2017, 21). They know that
markets are diverse and expandable. Most trafficking orga-
nizations seek to make money on the black market by selling
drugs, guns, and people. Therefore, it is likely the amphetamine
networks already operating in Syria would follow the heroin
chain into Europe, or even operate independent of the heroin
problem. There is significant evidence that indicates vulnerable
refugees could turn to criminal activities, such as trafficking in
illicit drugs, as the transit routes and markets are already well-es-
tablished in their areas.
About the Author: Douglas Davids, LTC(R), retired from
active duty after a career as a Special Forces and Civil Affairs
officer. He has a diverse background which has given him
multiple counterdrug experiences. He provided support to
counterdrug operations both domestically and throughout
Latin America. He also served a two-year tenure as the Chief
of the Analysis Section, National Guard Bureau-Counterdrug
Office, before returning to active duty. Among his many duties
Davids developed strategic and operational strategy and poli-
cies, papers, reports, and briefings on counterdrug related issues
in support of 54 US states and territories. He also directed the
agency’s first strategic analysis and impact study. Davids has
focused on counterdrug issues within his academic work, and is
the author of the book Narcoterrorism: A Unified Strategy to
Fight a Growing Terrorist Menace (2002).
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Baker, Noor (2015, September). Current Research on the Men
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noor-baker.pdf (Baker credits Eastern Mediterranean Public
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