Article Analysis. You can help! SPECIAL REPORT. FirstNews. Sign this at firstnews.co.uk/refugee

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1 SPECIAL REPORT THE news is full of stories about the migrant crisis, or you might have heard people talking about refugees. But what is going on and who are the people trying to get into Europe? And why? THEIR streets are a frontline for fighting, so thousands of children are fleeing from their homes in countries like Syria and Eritrea. by Save The Children s Kathleen Prior They risk their lives to reach Europe, where they hope they will be safe. Many make the long and dangerous journey alone, travelling across deserts in cramped trucks and across oceans in flimsy dinghies. This year, more than 2,600 children have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. The lucky ones that reach Europe are exhausted and often traumatised. They have very few belongings, and may have spent days without proper food or clothing to protect them from the weather. The charity Save the Children care for them when they arrive, providing a hot meal and a place to wash. They also give advice to help children and families claim asylum [safe refuge in another country] and start a new life. Ismail was just 15 years old when he left Somalia earlier this year, making the perilous journey to Italy. He said: It s very dangerous in Somalia. I want to get a good future but if I stayed in Somalia my future wouldn t be good. So that is why I came here to Italy, to get a good future and to work, to get an education, to get a good life, to get peace. He paid thousands of pounds to criminal traffickers so they would transport him to the north of Africa. They were armed and violent and attacked the women. They also called Ismail s mother and threatened to kill him if she did not pay more money forcing her to borrow more than she could afford from friends and family. Late one night, Ismail was snuck onto a rickety boat to cross the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, the boat broke down and everyone on board began to cry in fear. Ismail thought he was going to die. Luckily, a passing fishing vessel rescued them and tugged them to the shore. There Save the Children teams met Ismail and gave him the support he desperately needed. Save the Children think that we should do more to help these children. They have run for their lives from unimaginable horrors and we can give them a safe haven. Together, we can call on countries and governments across Europe to protect refugees, especially vulnerable children. We have a long tradition of helping refugees, and this is the worst humanitarian crisis of our generation. Let s welcome child refugees to our country. 6 You can help! We need you and your schools to sign First News letter to support these children! There are thousands of refugee children who have already arrived in Europe, without parents or guardians. There is no proper scheme to rehome them. So First News has put together a letter for schools to sign up to, which will be delivered to our Prime Minister, David Cameron, at 10 Downing Street. Please show this to your teachers and head teachers and ask them sign up your school at firstnews.co.uk/ refugee. Thank you so much! 5 4 SOME COUNTRIES FROM SYRIA TO THE UK THAT ARE IN THE NEWS 1. Syria 4. Hungary 2. Turkey 5. Germany 3. Greece 6. UK Dear David Cameron, There is nothing more important for us children than to be safe and cared for in a loving family. At the moment there are many desperate refugee children all alone in Europe. They have survived very dangerous journeys. Please protect them. We ask you to invite 3,000 of them to the UK and provide the safety and care they desperately need. Thank you. The children of Britain Sign this at firstnews.co.uk/refugee

2 SPECIAL REPORT ON Monday, the Prime Minister announced plans to bring up to 20,000 refugees to safety in Britain. by First News editor Nicky Cox This will give those people a chance to rebuild their lives. But, there are more than four MILLION Syrian refugees. Another eight million people are still in Syria but have lost their homes. And the surrounding countries are already housing millions of Syrians who have left their home country. The huge movement of people has been compared to World War Two, when millions of people were trying to escape from the Nazis. The refugees travelling across the Mediterranean Sea now, who are trying to reach Europe, are Syrian (51%), Afghan (14%), Iraqi (3%), Somali (2%) and Sudanese (2%). That means that 72% are fleeing countries at war. Most of the Syrians don t see how they will ever return to their country. Those who have enough money are using their savings to try to make the dangerous journey to Europe, rather than living their lives in a refugee camp or Lebanese shanty. Tragically, some have drowned in flimsy boats along the way. The flight of the refugees is a problem for Europe but the bigger problem is dealing with the causes. They include President Assad s reign of terror in Syria, the horror of IS and the failure of the rest of the world to deal with the issues. So the refugees maybe many more of them will continue heading to Europe for a long time to come. A young Syrian refugee arrives safely in Europe The war in Syria In March 2011, an uprising began against the government of President Bashar Al Assad in Syria. The government clamped down on the protests violently, and the country quickly fell into a civil war. From April 2013, a radical group calling itself Islamic State began to claim large sections of land in Syria and Iraq. They also brutally killed local civilians as well as hostages from Western countries, including Britain and America. The Syrian government began to fight Islamic State as well as other rebel groups in Syria. Countries like the US and UK then found themselves opposed to President Assad s government but also to Islamic State. At least 250,000 people have died since 2011, 4 million Syrians have left the country and many more are displaced inside Syria. UK SYRIA Syrian children look at weapons seized from Islamic State MEDITERRANIAN SEA LATAKIA ALEPPO SYRIA DAMASCUS CONFLICT AREAS Source: UNHCR July

3 Carefully read this week s Special Report story Europe s Refugee Crisis then answer the following questions. Part A Knowing the facts: A1. Why are thousands of children from countries like Syria and Eritrea fleeing their homes? A2. What dangers do the children face as they try to reach Europe? A3. How does the charity Save the Children help those that reach Europe? A4. How many Syrian refugees are there? A5. What nationality are the refugees travelling across the Mediterranean Sea now, trying to reach Europe? Part B Understanding the complexities of the situation: B1. What does Ismail s story about his journey with criminal traffickers tell you about the situation that the refugees are in? B2. Why does Save the Children think that we should do more to help child refugees? B3. On Monday, the Prime Minister announced plans to bring up to 20,000 refugees to safety in Britain, so why are there calls for him to do more? B4. Why is the plight of the refugees a problem for Europe? B5. Why is the bigger problem dealing with the cause? Part C The role of the media: C1. Images of a drowned Syrian three-year-old boy have appeared in the media. Some people have argued that the images should not have been published because they are too distressing. Others think that the decision to publish the pictures is justifiable because it draws attention to the desperate situation facing many refugees. What do you think? C2. The British Prime Minister was severely criticised after he was quoted in the media as describing refugees coming to the UK as a swarm. Do you agree that the use of the word swarm is dehumanising? Explain your answer. C3. In the past there have been reports in the media that money intended to help refugees from the civil war in Syria may have been diverted to terrorists. According to the Charity Commission, it is difficult, in the midst of conflict, for charities to know where aid ended up. Do you think that the media have a responsibility to let people know about this possibility, or is it unnecessary in the light of the fact that it may make them less willing to donate to a worthy cause?

4 Part A Knowing the facts: A1. Why are thousands of children from countries like Syria and Eritrea fleeing their homes? A2. What dangers do the children face as they try to reach Europe? A3. How does the charity Save the Children help those that reach Europe? A4. How many Syrian refugees are there? A5. What nationality are the refugees travelling across the Mediterranean Sea now, trying to reach Europe?

5 Part B Understanding the complexities of the situation: B1. What does Ismail s story about his journey with criminal traffickers tell you about the situation that the refugees are in? B2. Why does Save the Children think that we should do more to help child refugees?

6 B3. On Monday, the Prime Minister announced plans to bring up to 20,000 refugees to safety in Britain, so why are there calls for him to do more? B4. Why is the plight of the refugees a problem for Europe?

7 B5. Why is the bigger problem dealing with the cause? Part C The role of the media: C1. Images of a drowned Syrian three-year-old boy have appeared in the media. Some people have argued that the images should not have been published because they are too distressing. Others think that the decision to publish the pictures is justifiable because it draws attention to the desperate situation facing many refugees. What do you think?

8 C2. The British Prime Minister was severely criticised after he was quoted in the media as describing refugees coming to the UK as a swarm. Do you agree that the use of the word swarm is dehumanising? Explain your answer. C3. In the past there have been reports in the media that money intended to help refugees from the civil war in Syria may have been diverted to terrorists. According to the Charity Commission, it is difficult, in the midst of conflict, for charities to know where aid ended up. Do you think that the media have a responsibility to let people know about this possibility, or is it unnecessary in the light of the fact that it may make them less willing to donate to a worthy cause?

9 THE WEEKLY DEBATE - How can we can we help refugee children? To support students understanding of this complex issue, download this week s debate activity. The background to the crisis is explained along with historical mass migrations. AIM OF THE NEWS COMPREHENSIONS News reports are unique non-fiction texts. Being real, they naturally engage students, and with the range of topics that are covered, help to develop pupils knowledge and understanding of the wider world outside the classroom. The reports are ideal for short, focused comprehension or discussion activities. Along with the opportunity to find fascinating facts and appreciate the opinions of those involved, there is plenty to be inferred and deduced to understand in more depth what is being reported. Like authors, journalists play with language, so news stories are rich nuggets of text to investigate and provide the opportunity for a wide range of reading skills to be practised each week. These skills should fit within most schools reading and literacy programmes. TEACHER ANSWER GUIDE The teacher answers are intended to provide a guide to the reading skill each question is practising. Suggestions are given for a starting point for responses that students would be expected to give at the start of KS3. Further suggestions then give fuller, more developed responses that students will work towards by the end of KS3, in preparation for the non-fiction elements of GCSE English Language. Part A Knowing the facts: A1. Why are thousands of children from countries like Syria and Eritrea fleeing their homes? Thousands of children are fleeing from their homes in countries like Syria and Eritrea because their streets are a frontline for fighting. They are running from unimaginable horrors in search of a safe haven. A2. What dangers do the children face as they try to reach Europe? Many of the children are travelling alone and have to cross deserts in cramped trucks and go across oceans in flimsy dinghies. This year, more than 2,600 children have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. A3. How does the charity Save the Children help those that reach Europe? They provide a hot meal and a place to wash. They also give advice. Even if the children do get to Europe they are exhausted and often traumatised by the time that they arrive. They have very few belongings and may have spent days without proper food or clothing to protect them from the weather. The charity Save the Children help them by providing a hot meal and a place to wash. They also give advice to help children and families claim asylum. A4. How many Syrian refugees are there? There are more than four million Syrian refugees. Another eight million people are still in Syria but have lost their homes. A5. What nationality are the refugees travelling across the Mediteranean Sea now, trying to reach Europe? Correctly identified information 51% are Syrian, 14% are Afgan, 3% are Iraqi, 2% are Somali and 2% are Sudanese.

10 Part B Understanding the complexities of the situation: B1. What do you learn about the situation that the refugees are in from Ismail s story about his journey with criminal traffickers? It shows how desperate the refugees are because they are willing to pay criminals in an attempt to get transport out of their native country. Ismail s mother entrusted her 15-year-old son to criminal traffickers and paid them thousands of pounds to transport him to the north of Africa. This reveals how desperate she was to get a better life for him away from the dangers that he was facing in Somalia. The fact that the traffickers then exploited the situation further by calling Ismail s mother and threatening to kill him if she didn t pay them even more money shows the perils facing those fleeing their homes in order to find asylum. This makes it clear that the decision to try to get into Europe is not being taken lightly and without reason. People would not be leaving their homes and belongings and putting themselves in the hands of criminals, if there was an alternative. Ismail s story about his journey with criminal traffickers also reveals how bad the refugee crisis has got because the misfortune of the refugees has become a source of income for an industry of criminals. Unfortunately, at the moment, such criminals are continuing to thrive on exploitation. B2. Why do Save the Children think that we should do more to help child refugees? Save the Children think that we should do more to help child refugees because they are so vulnerable. They have experienced terrible things and have had to run for their lives as a last resort. Therefore, it is our duty as fellow human beings to protect and support them. : (some background research may be needed to help students to achieve this answer) As it says in the report: Britain has a long tradition of helping refugees. For example, the Kindertransport was a British scheme to rescue nearly 10,000 predominantly Jewish children from Nazi occupied territories between 1938 and Therefore, the charity is asserting that as a country with a proud tradition of protecting those in dire need and of upholding human rights it would be shameful if our generation did not show compassion now in the face of the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. B3. On Monday, the Prime Minister announced plans to bring up to 20,000 refugees to safety in Britain, so why are there calls for him to do more? There are calls for the British Prime Minister to do more because although 20,000 sounds like a large number, it is not really in the light of the fact that there are more than four million Syrian refugees. : Furthermore, the surrounding countries are already housing millions of Syrians who have left their home country even though such countries tend to be poorer and less stable than Britain. B4. Why is the flight of the refugees a problem for Europe? The flight of the refugees is a problem for Europe because there is such divided opinion over how to deal with the situation even amongst those in power. Some people believe that more refugees should be welcomed. However, some people are fearful about taking in refugees because they are concerned that it will be a drain on the host country. This is leading to political leaders indecision over what to do. (further research, e.g. with The Weekly Debate activity will enable students to develop a fuller response) The problem is exacerbated by confusion about the difference between a refugee and an economic migrant. An economic migrant makes a conscious choice to leave their country of origin in search of better opportunities. A refugee is a person who is forced to leave their country. The concerns of refugees are human rights and safety, not economic advantage. However, distinguishing between refugees and economic migrants can be problematic because some economic migrants do try to secure entry into European countries by claiming asylum. This explains why there is some scepticism about the plight of refugees.

11 As the issue is so controversial and complex, those in power are worried about making a decision that their leadership will be judged on. This is especially the case because even countries in the EU are not taking a common approach to the refugee crisis. There is a common asylum policy but in reality there is almost no cooperation. Indeed Germany has become the first EU country to suspend a 1990 protocol which forces refugees to seek asylum in the first country in which they set foot. This suspension by one country of a long-established convention may cause ill-will between EU countries. B5. Why is the bigger problem dealing with the cause? The bigger problem is dealing with the cause of the refugee crisis because humanitarian aid is not a long term solution. People are only leaving their homes because of war and/or persecution and so these issues need to be dealt with so that they no longer feel the need to flee. However, there is no easy solution. In Syria for example, it is more than just a battle between those for or against President Assad. IS has capitalised on the chaos in the region in order to take control of territory. Furthermore, those on all sides have been accused of committing atrocities. The fact that peace talks between the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition have failed to lead to any significant agreement also shows the extent of the instability there. Part C The role of the media: C1. Images of a drowned Syrian three-year-old boy have appeared in the media. Some people have argued that the images should not have been published because they are too distressing. Others think that the decision to publish the pictures is justifiable because it draws attention to the desperate situation facing many refugees. What do you think? I think that the decision to publish the pictures is justifiable because they have forced people in developed countries to stop ignoring the plight of the Syrian refugees. The pictures put a human face on the crisis and help to counter some of the anti-refugee sentiments being spread. Indeed, following the publication of the images there was a distinct change in tone to the coverage of the crisis from the press which up to then had used some very derogatory language in order to refer to refugees. Furthermore, the pictures have spurred a sense of action seen for example in the fact that calls for the UK to take in more refugees have intensified. Therefore, although the images are graphic, they needed to be shown in order to force the world to take notice and to take action. I don t think that the pictures should have been published. People can read about the deaths and understand what has happened without needing to be faced with such disturbing images. There are also potential privacy issues concerning the family of the young victim. The images must be very upsetting for the father and other relatives. They need to be allowed to grieve away from the media glare that will undoubtedly follow the publication of these pictures. Such poignant images could also result in knee-jerk reactions to the crisis which are not helpful in the long-term. C2. The British Prime Minister was severely criticised after he was quoted in the media as describing refugees coming to the UK as a swarm. Do you agree that the use of the word swarm is dehumanising? Explain your answer. Possible answers: Yes. I agree that the Prime Minister s description of the refugees as a swarm dehumanises them. A swarm is a large group of flying insects. The word swarm has negative connotations because flying insects are often considered to be pests and pests are destructive and a nuisance. Therefore, in using the word to describe refugees the British Prime Minister conveys an image of them as just being a large and annoying group descending on Britain. As a swarm of flying insects (such as locusts) tends to damage crops, there is even the implication that the refugees may cause damage to the host country if they are allowed to enter.

12 Thus the use of the word is misleading. Indeed, evidence points to a positive impact from immigration for developed countries. This is because foreign workers fill a range of jobs that European natives no longer want. Researchers also say that immigrants contribute more in taxes than they take in state benefits in the UK. No. I do not agree that the Prime Minister s description of the refugees as a swarm dehumanises them. He was simply referring to the fact that the refugees were moving in large numbers. C3. In the past there have been reports in the media that money intended to help refugees from the civil war in Syria may have been diverted to terrorists. According to the Charity Commission, it is difficult, in the midst of conflict, for charities to know where aid ended up. Do you think that the media have a responsibility to let people know about this possibility, or is it unnecessary in the light of the fact that it may make them less willing to donate to a worthy cause? Give reasons for your answer. Yes. I do feel that the media have a responsibility to let people know about the possibility that the money which they ve donated could have ended up in the hands of terrorists. People give their money to charities in good faith and they have a right to know if it has not been used to help the people that it was intended for. Otherwise it is tantamount to taking people s money under false pretences. By the media bringing the issue into the public arena there is also more chance that there will be greater scrutiny of where charity money goes and additional measures put in place to ensure that it is not misappropriated. This is because people will need reassuring that their money is being used appropriately and so they will call charity organisations to account. Indeed, the media have to let people know about the findings because there would be a public outcry if such information was withheld and then came to light at a later date. No. I think that it is unnecessary for the media to inform people that money intended to help refugees from the civil war in Syria may have been diverted to terrorists because it is only a possibility that the money is being misused. Developed answer It seems wrong to alarm people unnecessarily because that may stop them from donating money. There is not enough funding for those in dire need in Syria as it is. Therefore, the media should not scaremonger just to make headlines.