Through treacherous sea routes, after months or even years in cramped refugee camps, and after paying hefty sums to smugglers, more than a million Syrians arrived in Western Europe at the peak of the Syrian conflict. Ten years into the Syrian war, while active fighting has largely subsided, most Syrian refugees still don’t find it safe to return to their country. The oppressive government they fled in the first place is still in power, and most refugees fear they might be persecuted upon return for participating in protests, supporting the rebels, deserting mandatory military service, or simply for a bribe.
Over the years, many have also worked hard to integrate into their host countries. They have learned the local language, found jobs, and paid for themselves rather than being entirely dependent on state largesse. They have finally built a life in the kind of democratic nations they wanted Syria to be and cannot imagine leaving it all behind. Western European countries have provided some form of protection to most who arrived and, even though there are murmurs of gradual deportations, activists say legal protections stop the governments from doing so and from succumbing to pressure in this direction from the far right.
