**Migrant crisis: Why Syrians do not flee to Gulf states
****As the crisis brews over Syrian refugees trying to enter **European countries, questions have been raised over why they are not heading to wealthy Gulf states closer to home.
Although those fleeing the Syrian crisis have for several years been crossing into Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey in huge numbers, entering other Arab states - especially in the Gulf - is far less straightforward.
Officially, Syrians can apply for a tourist visa or work permit in order to enter a Gulf state.
But the process is costly, and there is a widespread perception that many Gulf states have unwritten restrictions in place that it make it hard for Syrians to be granted a visa in practice.
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption Syrians have flooded into the UN-run Zaatari refugee camp, north-east of the Jordanian capital Amman Most successful cases are Syrians already in Gulf states extending their stays, or those entering because they have family there.
For those with limited means, there is the added matter of the sheer physical distance between Syria and the Gulf.
Not welcome?This comes as part of wider obstacles facing Syrians, who are required to obtain rarely granted visas](25 ألف قتيل و80 ألف مصاب في زلزال تركيا وهزات أرضية تالية) to enter almost all Arab countries.
Without a visa, Syrians are not currently allowed to enter Arab countries except for Algeria, Mauritania, Sudan and Yemen.
The relative wealth and proximity to Syria of the states has led many - in both social and as well as traditional media - to question whether these states have more of a duty than Europe towards Syrians suffering from over four years of conflict and the emergence of jihadist groups in the country.
not sure of gulf states but millions have fled to Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Gulf it seems wants to fuel war and do not want to bear the after affects.
Why not change your statement to “…rather than hiring muslims and non muslims from nepal, philipine, india”?
If you are concerned for the Syrians find g a home in neighbor states, why wouod you distinguish between muslims and non muslims from India nepal etc? And why did you exclude. Pakistan from your list?
Migrants see germany as their saviour, they all want to go there, but not a mention of theseso called rich arab states, says a lot about their policies. If something was to happen in south america/east europe, they wont turn to arab countries either, because they treat people like slaves, muslim or non muslim, they know nothing about human rights.
Syrians are banned from GCC states, the ban was imposed from the day Saudi Sponsored civil war started in Syria. Now Arabs are interested in Syrians, but only females, they have nothing for males.. they want their females only..
Yes. Can't imagine what they are going through. The Syrian civilians seem to be paying for misguided policies leading to unnecessary wars. All of us should be ashamed this is happening.
The picture of aylan washed up on turkeys shore is heart wrenching. The world including Pakistan should do more for the Syrians fleeing the war.
Agreed 100%.
It's heart wrenching that people need to see pictures of dead children before their hearts get wrenched. The utter disrespect of the dead by sharing their pictures in this modern day and age is heart wrenching. Just the numbers of people who die through similar injustices around the world on a daily basis is heart wrenching ... No need to see dead bodies. I wonder if people who feel this way will open their own homes to refugees. I wonder if people go visit the people in strife ... I wonder if people know who to blame the countries who they say are not taking in the refugees or the ones who made them refugees in the first place ... Syria's regime is the crux of the problem.
It is pathetic to see that the rich, arrogant, dictatorial and tyrant regimes in these countries not doing anything to alleviate the sufferings of the Syrians. Civilians are the victims of the butcher of Damascus supported by Russia and Iran on one side and on the other side the Gulf states supporting their evil killers, both sides couldn't care less about the poor civilians so long as their side is well supported. Shame on Assad, Russia, Iran and the gulf states. While the animals of ISIS are busy killing muslims and non muslims the outpouring in the west for these refugees is a shame for the muslim states. Seeing the pictures of Germans clapping and welcoming Syrians today brought tears to my eyes. At the same time the muslims were massacring each other in Syria, the butcher of Syria by dropping barrel bombs on his own civilians and ISIS killing anyone not believing in their evil ideology. Shame on Muslims and no wonder Allah's azab is on them .
There was a picture of a Hungarian lady on the highway with food for the refugees.
There is plenty of blame to go around for this situation. Not just Syria. The unfortunate choice to go to war against Iraq and Afghanistan started the spiral downward in that region.
With respect, Psyah, the pictures matter. It hits home. The world should know what is happening. Photos such as the little boy may just wake people up 5o what is going on.
Re disrespec towards the dead - I don't see why it is disrespectful to present to the world what is going on.
The condition of refugees is the exact depiction of condition of muslims (common people) all around the world. How could someone not see it coming. It was a war-torn area, and people had very few exits. Nobody was really helping them. So they had two choices: Either they wait to be killed by Bashar or ISIS , Or they try to take a hike and run till they either get killed or find a safer place.
We all owe big time the European nations who hailed refugees despite their own concerns. Now remember there would be factions who will oppose the incoming refugees, hate them or even become violent against them but it still cannot undo the HUGE favor done by the good people among them..
We however, are either buisy in sharing the pics of dead children mentioning using sweet sweet words of how we are melted OR still finding the reasons to slam west. Just an example of why we are, where we are!
Saudia was an ally of US before the Iraq war and they are their allies even now. Iran has a role in propping up Asad and Saudia has launched bigger terrorists to counter Asad. The ordinary people are just sandwiched between Asad and Isis. While European countries have opened up their countries to Muslim refugees, the Arab monarchies who have a big role in the whole crisis are looking from the sidelines. They have a logic that Syrians should stay near their country, yes Germany is nearer as compared to saudia
