Security Predicament of Syrian Refugees Through Gender Lens in Line with EU–Turkey Joint Action Plan 2015

Abstract

War has numerous repercussions for each gender. In the instances of war-induced displacement, both genders are usually subject to intensive risks in their journey as refugees, from reaching destined countries through dangerous routes to gender differences and inequalities they face in the host countries. The tales of agony and calamity shed light on the fact that the refugee crisis is very much a crisis for both genders not limited to one gender. Since the Second World War, the Middle East has been regarded as the world’s most conflict-prone region. Continuous Wars and civil wars have always raised questions about human threats and Syria is not exceptional. As a consequence of the Syrian civil war which was started in 2011, 13.5 million Syrians substituting for more than half of Syria’s population are deracinated, destitute or confined in difficult to access areas. Tens of thousands of Syrians have fled their nation in search of safety and access to essential amenities. Many Syrians choose to reach Europe other than Middle East countries as their destination to get asylum where they risk their lives by making the dangerous journey through the Mediterranean Sea route and both men and women face different refugee predicaments throughout their journey. At the same time, the European Union (EU) is playing a significant role in managing the Syrian Crisis, although it has been facing a remarkable advent of refugees and migrants. In 2015, the EU and Turkey officially followed a joint ‘Action Plan’, which mainly aimed to deter the gargantuan influx of outcasts and transients into the EU. However, the plan has faced a lot of criticism which argued that although the EU presented as a humanitarian actor in dealing refugee crisis, it is trying to push its responsibilities towards Turkey. Against this backdrop, this article has examined the crisis faced by the Syrian refugees after the adoption of the joint action plan. Further, it has analysed, if the said joint action plan has made their refugee journey more complicated in the EU by adding new challenges for both Syrian men and women differently.