To: The Florida State House, The Florida State Senate, and Governor Ron DeSantis
Urge Florida Legislature to Increase Syrian Refugee Resettlement in the United States
Syrian refugee resettlement numbers in The United States must be increased. With over 4 million refugees and counting, our nation must and is able to do more to meet the needs of this massive humanitarian crisis. We, the students of the University of Florida, hereby petition U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio, and Florida Governor Rick Scott to answer this urgent call by passing legislation to immediately increase the number of Syrian refugees resettled in the United States for 2016, to facilitate and reform the asylum application process, and to further support the government in its humanitarian efforts towards the Syrian crisis. As constituents, we urge the above mentioned government officials to vote in accordance with any legislative acts increasing the number of Syrian refugees resettled in the United States. Furthermore, we hereby petition members of the Florida State Legislature to establish and promote statewide programs that facilitate the integration of refugees into our local Florida communities and the distribution of financial and humanitarian assistance to them.
Why is this important?
Students of the University of Florida have felt this impact of the Syrian refugee crisis on a personal level. Many students within the Arab Students' Association have friends and family in Syria that are being put in danger or have already lost their lives due to circumstances on the ground there. Instead of shutting off our borders due to largely unfounded fears of terrorism, we should increase the United States' intake of Syrian refugees and welcome these refugees with love and compassion.