As reported by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia has “received 2.5 million Syrians since beginning of Syrian conflict.” This statement comes in light of media outlets condemning Saudi Arabia for not offering Syrian refugees settlement. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia has adopted a policy that does not treat the Syrians as refugees nor “place them in refugee camps.” The refugees who wished to stay in the country have been given legal residency which comes with access to free medical care and power to
“…join the labor market and… attend schools and universities. This was contained in a royal decree in 2012 that instructed public schools to accept Syrian students. According to government statistics, the public school system has accepted more than 100,000 Syrian students.”
It has also maintained its position in aiding neighboring countries such as Jordan and Lebanon, which have hosted millions of Syrian Refugees, with money and goods.
“Humanitarian aid provided to Syrians by the Kingdom consisted of food and medical, academic, and residential supplies, and included the establishment of Saudi specialized clinics in refugee camps, most importantly the Zaatari Camp in Jordan. The Kingdom was able to provide medical care in the form of immunizations, preventive treatments and medical procedures. In addition, Saudi Arabia sponsored a large number of Syrian families living in Lebanon and Syria (specifically paying for their rent and living costs). “
Saudi Arabia has been noted as being of the top 5 countries to host the most international migrants, along with the United Arab Emirates, another Middle Eastern country condemned for not offering settlement to Syrian refugees. In contrast, Germany has been lauded for its humanitarian efforts in the form of pledging “30,000 places for Syrian refugees through its humanitarian admission programme.”
