The Representation of Refugees in the Media of the Middle East and Europe: A Comparative Study

In recent decades, due to massive violations of human rights and threats to human security, millions of people have been compelled to leave their homeland. These displaced people have desperately been seeking new, safer destinations. As a result of a range of factors, including civil war, political instability, terrorist attacks, external attacks or other violent acts, and even natural disasters, millions of people have been compelled to flee from their homeland to other countries in search of shelter, better livelihoods, education, and economic opportunities. For example, due to violent terrorist acts conducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria, and civil wars in other countries of the Middle East, millions of refugees and asylum seekers have sought to migrate to European countries. Today, about 14.6 million Syrian people are dependent on foreign aid. About 1.2 million Syrians live below the poverty line. Due to terrorist attacks, and the absence of law and order, there has been a tremendous increase in structural and gender-based violence, with women and children being brutally persecuted. At the time of writing, food insecurity is another major problem in Syria. The national economic system has collapsed in Syria and the rapid increase of child labor, human trafficking, and forced migration have collectively made the situation dangerous for safe livelihood. To save their lives they fled to surrounding countries such as Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon. These Syrian refugees have, in turn, created additional socio-economic pressures in neighboring host countries. According to the report of UNHCR (2022), these countries have required $20 million to feed and shelter refugees.