During the summer, you may have heard about the refugee crisis that's happening in Syria and in Europe.
A refugee is someone who has been forced to leave their own country for safety, many times due to political upheaval, or war.
This is what's happening in the country of Syria, where nearly four million people have fled since war began in 2011. Nations around the world are being asked to do more to help the hundreds of thousands of migrants who have crossed into Europe this year. Most of the refugees start their journey in Syria and make their way through Turkey, Greece, or Macedonia, before crossing from Serbia into Hungary. That's where so many find their journey stalled, because these overwhelmed nations don't have the resources, or the will, to offer a long term solution.
The U.S. is moving to help the global crisis by increasing the number of refugees it will take to 85,000 next year. Currently, the U.S. refugee cap stands at 70,000 people. Many of the additional refugees coming here would be from Syria.
Instructional Links
Map & Graphs: EU migration: Crisis in graphics
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911
Video with Lesson Plan: Neuland, Documentary