Mr. Speaker. I rise today to draw attention to the tragic humanitarian crisis currently underway with the migration of refugees from Jordan. Lebanon. and Turkey making their way into Western Europe. With the unfolding of the horrific conflict in Syria and the continuing grotesque violence of ISIS. we can only expect that hundreds of thousands more will attempt to flee hostile regions for the safety of Europe and beyond. Since 2011. at least 4 million Syrians have fled their country. uprooting their families to escape brutal violence and miserable living conditions. However. the refugees plight for a safe environment since leaving Syria and escaping to Jordan. Lebanon. and Turkey has been bleak. In just the last few days. we have seen heartbreaking images of refugees making the difficult journey to enter European countries. sometimes paying with their lives. These migrants and refugees will do anything for a better future. I was proud to see the leadership of Angela Merkel in Germany accepting so many of these people in need. I strongly encourage all European Union countries to follow Chancellor Merkels lead in welcoming these migrants and refugees and also supporting Germanys efforts in ensuring this undertaking is spread across the continent. Most importantly. the United States must also offer any humanitarian assistance we can to ensure these vulnerable refugees have all available resources to return to a sense of normalcy. The world must step up. and I hope this Congress will play a role in the process of assisting these refugees. Mr. Speaker. the conflict in Syria is one of the great blemishes on human history.
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refugees migrants