In Spring 2011, several North African and Middle Eastern nations erupted in political protest. Known as the Arab Spring, the protests targeted absolute dictatorships across the two regions. In Syria, the uprising led to a violent civil war, pitting the Syrian government against rebel groups seeking democratic reform. Caught in the crossfire have been millions of innocent Syrians, including large numbers of women and children. Of the 13.5 million refugees identified by the United Nations, nearly 5 million have fled Syria and sought refuge in other countries. Western Europe and the United States have pledged their support in the wake of the refugee crisis, and, as a result, large numbers of Syrian refugees have poured into these areas.

Due to escalating international terrorism and global violence, the Syrian refugee crisis has become an issue during the 2016 presidential election. Now, Americans are divided as how to deal with this problem. Some argue that we should honor our commitment to the refugees, and open our borders to those fleeing. However, others are arguing that we should close our borders to the refugees, or conduct a thorough vetting process before letting them in.