ROME -- The Syrian refuge crisis has developed within recent years to become an international crisis, due to the huge spread of refugees reaching countries all around the world. This is a result of the progressive intensification of the crisis as well as the failure of international powers’ efforts to put an end to it and to allow the refugees to return securely and safely to their homes.

 The core of the problem lies in the unprecedented change in European strategy towards the Mediterranean countries. Since its birth, the European Union developed a strategy based on partnership and collaboration with Mediterranean countries, especially after the Barcelona treaty in 1995. The principal idea behind the European partnership policy towards the Mediterranean states was to achieve two main goals. The first goal was to help the economical development of the Arab Mediterranean states and to create new job vacancies by investing in different economical fields, with the aim that citizens of the Arab world would not be attracted by seeking refuge in Europe but would instead stay to live where they born.

 The second objective of the European strategy was to raise the standards of culture values in order to match those of the European Union. This would be achieved by providing significant donations and loans to the Arab states and by creating new legislations made by the governments of the Arab states in the fields of human rights, democracy, corruption, government and many other domains.

 It was a successful policy and many positive results were clearly seen, but the main problem was the lack of time, patience and effort from the European Union.

 This successful strategy varies greatly from that of America, which aimed to spread democracy through the use of aircraft, tanks and missiles. America launched a war against Afghanistan and Iraq, and by invading them, threatened all the stable regimes in the region, distinguishing them as either good or evil. The great mistake was that the European Union soon abandoned their own strategy in favour of the American one, even though that of the European Union had already started to have a positive outcome in the Arab world.

 There is little doubt that the United States is one of the countries least effected by the refugee crisis, in addition to Russia and china. The most affected places are the neighbouring countries of Syria and all countries of European Union, so it was indeed better for Europe to choose the scheme to deal with this crisis and to try to put out the fire, seeing as they are most affected by its flame.

 There is still hope and time to find a solution to the Syrian crisis, especially if the European Union uses a new strategy which does not support any specific side of the conflict, by concentrating on fighting terrorism and helping the Syrian army as well as other opposition troops to fight ISIS and the Al-Nusra front. The European Union needs to work with the rest of the international community to achieve a cease fire which enables the stable and secure return of refugees to their homes. 

 se-fm