Journal of International Relations & Foreign Policy

Love Thy Neighbor: Current and Potential Responses to Young, Male, Syrian, Refugee Students in the European Union Higher Education Sector
Kristen Allen

Abstract
Since the start of the Syrian civil war, the media has been flooded with images of Syrian refugees fleeing their war torn nation. All over the world, receiving countries and their higher education sectors have responded in a variety of ways. Via a quantitative, website analysis, this report investigates whether and how institutes of higher education (HEIs) in the European Union (EU) are providing support for their young, male, Syrian, refugee population. I discuss existing strengths, weaknesses, and challenges of Syrian refugee support efforts on the part of the top three HEIs in seven EU nations that have received the most Syrian, asylum applications of all EU nations. With this analysis in mind, I make specific policy recommendations to assist HEI policy-makers in improving their Syrian refugee support mechanisms. While integration of young, male, Syrian refugees into their host nation’s society is certainly important, EU policy-makers have largely ignored support of this particular population in the way of cultural and developmental sensitivity. This report fills that gap in order to support a safer future for all those residing in the EU.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jirfp.v4n2a1