Programme Erasmus + Europe on the move : Migration Biographies
Theses
During the two years 14 German students wrote scientific papers dealing with the topic of migration and migration biografies . Three of those papers are presented in full length , the others are introduced as abstracts .
1 . Syria as a country of refugees
“ Syria is the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time , a continuing cause of suffering for millions which should be garnering a groundswell of support around the world .” 1
Filippo Grandi , UNHCR High Commissioner
The Syrian refugee crisis was and still is one of the most significant historical , geographical and political events in Europe and Syria in the last few years . Even a few years after the initial influx of refugees in the EU the topic of refugees is more relevant than ever and is arguably the most challenging socio-political crisis in large parts of Europe at the time of writing . The essay will consider the Syrian family Haddad 2 , who were forced to leave their hometown in Syria because of the ever-increasing threat of terrorism and the effects that the Syrian Civil War had on the country . Since 2014 , the largest number of refugees in Germany have come from Syria . 3 For this reason , the Syrian refugees have had a big impact on Germany ’ s immigration policy . The analysis of different sources , as well as a personal interview with a Syrian refugee family in Germany , will create the basis of the essay . The question of why Germany is such a desirable destination for refugees will be discussed . The Syrian family ’ s story will be told through their routes , personal stories and challenges they faced . Many of the questions posed throughout the essay will be answered through the biography of the family but will also be accompanied by facts and statistics from a variety of sources . Finally , the essay will end by tackling the issue of the Syrian family ’ s future , as it parallels the future of many Syrian refugees in Germany . Some additional source of information comes from the voluntary helper that helped the family Haddad , as well as various forms of literature about the refugee crisis and the recent and on-going issues in Syria . From the history of Syria to the future plans of the family Haddad , the essay looks at tackling many of the topics that have caused the Syrian refugee crisis .
2 . The migration biography of a Syrian family
2.1 . Country of origin - Syria
2.1.1 . Historical backgrounds
Syria ’ s history can be described as a long , rich and complex , beginning multiple millenniums B . C .. The first cities were built between 3000 and 2000 B . C . and were strongly influenced by the socially and technically advanced Mesopotamian culture . An example of Syria ’ s early advancements is the invention of the first alphabetic script in the world , around 1400 B . C .. 4 During the following centuries Syria was under occupation and rule of several empires , including : the Sumerians , the Amorites , the Mitanni , the Hittites , the Assyrians , the Phoenicians , the Arameans , the Babylonians , the Persians , the Greeks and the Romans . 5 6 7
After Saulus confessed to being Christian and he became the apostle “ Paulus ” in Damascus in 34 A . D . Antioch , the capital during this time , became the centre of the Christian movement . The development of the Christian religion was followed by a growing community of Christians and thereafter the 4 Gospels were written between
1 ( UNHCR n . d .)
2 Name was changed by the author
3 ( BAMF 2019 , 21 )
4 ( Schweizer 2015 , 490 )
5 ( Smith , Irvine and others 2019 )
6 ( Schweizer 2015 , 490f .)
7 ( History . com Editors 2017 )
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