Just the other day, the Obama administration met its goal of bringing in 10,000 refugees from Syria. Another goal was met of bringing in 85,000 refugees from other parts of the world; however, the refugees from Syria have been the primary subject of controversy, given concerns over terrorists slipping through the cracks.
The number of refugees weâve welcomed are a drop in the bucket when it comes to the total number of refugees from the Middle East fleeing ISIS. I (Matt Palumbo) think few would deny these refugees fleeing ISIS are genuinely in need. However, we should look for the most efficient way possible to help them, rather than simply try to virtue signal to the rest of the world how tolerant and welcoming we are.
Europeâs experiment in mass-refugee resettlement has shown a lack of assimilation into Western culture. And why would we expect more anyway, when theyâre settling in Europe not because they want to live there, but because theyâre fleeing war? Wouldnât it make more sense for other Muslim countries to welcome them in, for the purpose of social cohesion if nothing else?
But alas, the five wealthiest Muslim nations havenât welcomed in a single refugee. Had they done so, they could help many more people than we could ever hope to, considering the difference in costs of resettling a refugee in America vs. the Middle East.
Hereâs the shocking truth about how inefficient it is for us to bring refugees here, as compared with settling them in their own neck of the globe.
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, it costs $12,874 to resettle a Middle Eastern refugee in the U.S., but only $1,057 to resettle one in the Middle East. In other words, we couldâve taken one tenth of the money allocated for the 10,000 refugees we brought in, sent a check of that amount to a willing Middle Eastern country, and helped the exact number of people.
One Year Cost of Resettling a Middle Eastern Refugee by Location
In Middle East: $1,057
In United States: $12,874 pic.twitter.com/3g8q1UK3QMâ Stefan Molyneux (@StefanMolyneux) September 1, 2016
For the cost of resettling 10,000 refugees in the United States â 121,797 can be resettled in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/jIuF7Xve2a
â Stefan Molyneux (@StefanMolyneux) September 1, 2016
If weâre going to help refugees, why not do so at one tenth the cost, without any of the risks â not to mention allow the refugees themselves to integrate into a culture that feels more like home?
Source: Allen West
