Washington: After authorities revealed one of the suspects behind the Paris terror attacks to have entered Europe along with the wave of Syrian refugees, governors of 27 American states, mostly Republican, have decided on slamming the door on the asylum seekers' faces. Identified as Syrian named Ahmad al Muhammad, the terrorist was allowed to enter Greece in early October. Governors of half the states in the US have voiced their opinions and are strictly against letting Syrian migrants into their states. The final word, over the issue, however, lies with the federal government. Some of them either said they oppose taking in any Syrian refugees being relocated as part of a national programme or asked that they be particularly scrutinized as potential security threats.
In announcing that his state would not accept any Syrian refugees, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted on his personal account, “I demand the U.S. act similarly,” he said. “Security comes first.” In a letter to US President Barack Obama, he wrote, “American humanitarian compassion could be exploited to expose Americans to similar deadly danger,” referring to the deadly attacks in Paris.
More than 250,000 people have died since the violence broke out in Syria in 2011, and at least 11 million people in the country of 22 million have fled their homes. Syrians are now the world's largest refugee population, as per the United Nations.
