"♪ ♪" "This week on "Vice":" "Europe's exploding refugee crisis." "(speaking English)" "We're here on the Turkish side of the border, but just right across there, you can see Tell Abyad which is still under ISIS's control." "And then, the geopolitical consequences of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris." "We're right in front of Notre Dame, this is really the first big vigil since the shooting just a couple days ago." "I saw the sign here that says "Say no to Syrian refugees"?" "The less of 'em in this country, the better." "♪ ♪" "(gunshot)" "(crowd chanting)" "The spiraling violence caused by the civil war in Syria has touched off the worst refugee crisis since World War II." "Fully 4.5 million Syrians have fled, with many headed towards the safety of Europe." "We follow some of these refugees on their perilous trail of modern migration." "♪ ♪" "We're here on the Turkish side of the border." "People here are safe, going about their day-to-day lives." "But just right across there, you can see Tell Abyad, which is still under ISIS's control." "It has been for well over a year now." "They've been gathering there for days, waiting to cross into Turkey, hoping to escape the war and the Islamic State." "We talked to one family that managed to make it across safely." "(speaking foreign language)" "Shihab-Eldin:" "Turkey shares Syria's entire northern border, and its struggle to deal with the more than 2.5 million refugees who've crossed over so far." "We're here just a couple of kilometers away from Syria." "This is Turkey's largest refugee camp." "There are over 25,000 people here." "Camps like this one were only meant to be a temporary solution, but the endless violence in Syria means that most of these refugees will never be able to go home." "(speaking foreign language)" "Shihab-Eldin:" "People are so desperate to get out of these camps, that many of them set their sights on the European Union, which they see as their best chance for a better life." "Last year, more than 800,000 refugees tried to get to Europe by making a dangerous boat trip to the closest Greek islands." "And across the Mediterranean, more than 3,700 people drowned." "We talked to one Syrian refugee who was preparing to make the crossing." "Musa hoped to join his brother Ammar, who'd already made it to Greece." "(speaking foreign language)" "Shihab-Eldin:" "Smugglers have turned this journey into a billion-dollar business, and Musa had to pay about a thousand dollars to secure his place." "I went with him as he negotiated the deal." "Shihab-Eldin:" "That night, as other refugees lined the streets to make the same journey," "Musa was picked up by a smuggler and given some frightening instructions." "Shihab-Eldin:" "The reason they sink their own boat in Greek waters, is because under a UN resolution, the Greek Coast Guard would be forced to rescue the passengers and bring them to the EU." "Shihab-Eldin:" "But before they made it to the Greek side, the boat started sinking on its own." "After hours adrift at sea, the refugees were spotted by the Turkish Coast Guard and taken back to Turkey." "To better understand what's driving this mass migration, we spoke to one of the top policymakers dealing with the crisis," "António Guterres, who until January was the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees." "It's clear that the mega-crisis in Syria and Iraq became the worst humanitarian situation since the second World War." "It's a catastrophic situation." "People said, "Well, we are doomed here,"" "and so the movement into Europe accelerated." "I remember talking to the refugees in the beginning, they were saying, "Soon we'll go back home." "We are sure we will go back home."" "And then slowly, slowly, this hope has been vanishing as they don't see light at the end of the tunnel." "Shihab-Eldin:" "With no hope of returning to Syria, more and more refugees are arriving in Greece each day." "(woman speaking foreign language)" "Shihab-Eldin:" "These refugees may have made it to Europe, but for many of them the conditions here are actually worse." "(baby crying)" "It's become so desperate, that abandoned hotels have become makeshift shelters." "(speaking English)" "Greece has been in, the last few years, a very difficult economic situation." "They have levels of unemployment that are appalling." "Greece is less prepared to be able to properly receive and accept this population." "Shihab-Eldin:" "One refugee who's learned that lesson the hard way is" "Musa's brother Ammar, who left Syria a few months before him." "He's been stuck here in limbo for almost a year." "(speaking foreign language)" "So, are you scared to try again?" "Shihab-Eldin:" "Ammar joined hundreds of other refugees on a train headed north, toward the Macedonian border, and one step closer to Germany." "At Polikastro, they continued on foot." "(speaking foreign language)" "Shihab-Eldin:" "Ammar split from the group, and after walking for two straight days, he crossed safely into Macedonia." "But those he left behind weren't so lucky." "Finally we get to the border and there are hundreds of refugees waiting to cross." "This is on the Greek side of the border, and just along the way, you see the Macedonian army." "They've tried to cross several times, and every time they cross they get there, and whether or not the Macedonian army actually pushes them back forcefully, they find themselves back here because the border's closed." "Just a few days later, tensions here exploded and across Europe, refugees overwhelmed border security by the thousands." "At the same time," "Germany said it would accept more asylum seekers, so individual countries began sealing their borders and shuttling refugees towards Germany by train." "(speaking foreign language)" "Shihab-Eldin:" "When you talk to some of these refugees, when you ask them questions, they end up asking you as many questions as you're asking them, because they don't have any idea where they're going really" "or what they're going to do when they get there." "But tensions have been mounting." "After the terrorist attacks in Paris," "Central European countries began severely restricting who could pass through their borders." "New rules in the wake of the Paris attacks:" "Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, and Slovenia announced they will turn back economic migrants." "Shihab-Eldin:" "Outraged refugees staged a gruesome demonstration in response, sewing their lips together in protest." "And those who have made it through have found that even Germany is overwhelmed by the crisis." "This is the bridge connecting Austria and Germany." "You can see tons of refugees waiting here to cross over." "Even though this is hopefully the end of their journey, they're still waiting." "(speaking foreign language)" "Shihab-Eldin:" "But even inside Germany, there are hundreds of thousands of refugees already waiting." "(speaking foreign language)" "Shihab-Eldin:" "In fact, in 2015, one million refugees fled to Europe, an influx that no country could handle alone." "And the arrival of so many foreigners in Germany has sparked a growing backlash." "Woman:" "Thousands marched in Dresden in support of the anti-Islam movement PEGIDA." "Man:" "They're part of a movement protesting what they see as the threat to German culture." "(speaking German)" "(crowd chanting)" "Shihab-Eldin:" "Meanwhile, after thousands of miles and countless border crossings," "Ammar's yearlong journey had finally come to an end in a small city in Germany." "But he told us that being accepted into Europe doesn't mean being accepted by the people who live here." "(speaking foreign language)" "(explosions)" "Shihab-Eldin:" "The war in Syria, and the exodus it's causing, is just one of dozens of conflicts that have created a staggering 60 million displaced people around the world, a profound crisis that is already reshaping the political landscape in Europe" "and even in the United States." "If things continue this way, what does the future hold?" "I think many decision-makers in the world, refuse to see the reality that is coming until that reality enters their doors." "We have seen a multiplication of new conflicts." "In the past, we had wars between states or between a government and a rebel group." "But now in many countries, you have a multiplicity of actors." "You have government forces, international forces, ethnic militias, religious militias, political militias, all operating in the same scenarios." "And all the conflicts are getting interlinked." "From Nigeria to Afghanistan, we see fighters going from one scenario to another." "It shows how the world is changing, how it's becoming much more dangerous and how much more people are suffering." "And we are also seeing eruptions of xenophobia." "When, for instance, someone says in Europe that Muslim refugees are not welcome, it gives a pretext for the propaganda that Daesh makes about the attitude of the Western World in relation to the Muslim world." "This cannot go on." "If this goes on, everybody will be threatened." "(panicked shouting)" "Now the flood of refugees coming out of Syria has been one of the largest humanitarian crises of our modern age." "But the global response to it transformed overnight due to suspicions that a member of the ISIS attacks on Paris may have entered the country posing as a refugee, which has sparked a number of complex and contradictory reactions around the world." "(sirens blaring)" "(bells tolling)" "We're right in front of Notre Dame, and this is really the first big vigil since the shooting just a couple days ago, and hundreds of people have come out here." "There are still gunmen on the loose that they haven't located." "Everyone seems to be still very much on edge." "(speaking French)" "Toboni:" "In November of 2015, ISIS claimed responsibility for one of the deadliest terrorist attacks committed in the West since 9/11." "Armed gunmen and suicide bombers, including at least two rumored to have entered the EU posing as refugees, stormed the city of Paris, terrorizing innocent civilians in a concert hall, a stadium, and restaurants, killing 130 people." "These memorials, with hundreds of people putting candles and flowers down, are all over the city." "(speaking French)" "(speaking French)" "Toboni:" "Immediately after the attacks," "France began dramatically stepping up its airs strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria." "(chanting)" "But air strikes tend to go hand-in-hand with a surge in anti-Muslim rhetoric." "It helps to prove ISIS's contention that the West is at war with Islam, which in turn helps to radicalize disaffected Muslims, and inspire new attacks." "(speaking French)" "Toboni:" "It's a cycle that we don't seem to be able to break, and now it's playing out here in the United States." "A married couple opened fire at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino." "Evidence is mounting that the killers in San Bernardino, California, had become homegrown Islamist radicals." "Toboni:" "The killings, coming so soon after the Paris attacks, set off a call to seal our borders, even though the attackers were not refugees." "It is lunacy to be bringing refugees into this country who may be terrorists trying to murder Americans." "Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on." "Toboni:" "That focus on refugees has taken root, and more than 30 governors have called for a block on Syrian refugees, in spite of President Obama's pledge to take 10,000 more." "And across the US, reported hate crimes against Muslims tripled in the month following the Paris attacks." "In Dallas, civilians are organizing armed protests and defending against what they see as a threat to their communities." "So we're here with a group outside of Dallas." "They're just prepping for a protest that they're going to do in front of a mosque next weekend." "Let's go ahead and go back over some weapon safety." "Make sure everybody's got an empty chamber." "Good hook." "Safe." "All right, good to go." "Sweet." "We're gonna be the first stage." "So if someone tries to break in the line, go ahead and close up like that." "Because they're going to be expecting us this time." "Toboni:" "Inside the mosque, we watched as the imam prepared his congregants." "Imam:" "Tomorrow I'm sure most of you are aware, that there is going to be a rally outside of our mosque, and that it's going to be a group of armed people." "Our part is to make sure that what we're doing is correct." "Toboni:" "As the mosque braced for this protest, the broader religious community held a tense meeting about how to respond." "I am deeply concerned when Muslims are harassed." "I can't fathom" "Wes, can you fathom people with guns outside your church on Sunday?" "I mean, it's outrageous." "When I hear a presidential candidate say, it's a good idea to register and label people, that has echoes for me of 1930s Germany." "I think about my grandfather who was a social activist, amongst many things, and one night was visited by the Klan to his home." "My grandfather invited the grand wizard in for coffee." "He wanted him to know that" ""Yes, you can show up at my door, but you're not going to cause me to run away."" "In moments like this, you can't remain silent." "I think people are being challenged to determine what side of history they're going to stand on." "I saw the sign here that says "Say no to Syrian refugees."" "Do you also back that message?" "Absolutely." "The less of 'em in this country, the better." "How does it feel to be a former US Marine and a part of the Muslim community and having these guys come up here saying basically, you're un-American, and if you're a Muslim, there's a good chance that you're a terrorist?" "What they're seeing in the media is not the Islam that I know." "The things they teach you in the military, when you go to combat, you dehumanize your enemy so it makes it easier to kill them." "That's what all this is rolled up to be." "An attempt to dehumanize Muslims, make them seem like they're not American, like they don't belong, when they have every right just like any other American." "If a Syrian refugee came in here and killed your kid, you'd be over here with me." "Man:" "That's not the point." "The point is" " That's the point you just made." "You said Syrian refugees." "No, the point is is that ISIS is mixing in with Syrian refugees, that's a fact." "Do you attend this mosque here?" "Yes." "Okay." "Yes, we do." "And what do you make of the protests here?" "In a way, I don't blame these people." "Most of these people, they misunderstand." "Islam is not about killing people." "Islam is not about hate." "Islam is about love, peace." "What ISIS is doing, unfortunately, us here, Muslims in America, we are suffering behind that." "My wife gets harassed at work because of what she's wearing." "My son, he got jumped in the gym." "Ahmed, what would you want to tell somebody who bullies you or who doesn't understand your religion?" "Just think before they do what they do and say what they say because we're not all bad." "Usually you drive past a protest like this, you see guys with big guns, and you sort of think," ""Oh, they're just crazy extremists."" "But now that you have governors and senators, presidential candidates coming out and speaking the same message, they actually don't seem that fringe anymore." "Toboni:" "Around the same time, the governor of Texas announced that he would attempt to block all Syrian refugees from entering his state." "Syrian refugees are not going to be allowed into the state of Texas and given refuge." "Toboni:" "Despite the Governor's proposed block, one family was able to beat the odds." "We met up with them during their very first hours in Texas as they reunited with their family." "(speaking foreign language)" "Toboni:" "Faez came to America ten months ago." "Now, after two years apart, his brother, nephew and their families have arrived safely." "Most Americans have no idea what you've been through." "How do you raise a family in a place like Syria the way it is right now?" "(speaking foreign language)" "Toboni:" "The US traditionally accepts more refugees than any other country." "But when it comes to Syrian refugees, like this family, the opposite is true." "While other countries have admitted hundreds of thousands of displaced Syrians, the US have accepted about 4,000 since the war began." "But some lawmakers here think even that is too many." "We also need to do everything we can to block terrorist pathways into our country." "Congressman Michael McCaul, who fought to keep this Syrian family from settling in Texas introduced legislation that would all but block more refugees from Syrian and Iraq." "The system as it is now, in order for somebody to get through our refugee program-- first of all, less than one percent chance, they'll get past the first stage with UNHCR." "They then are investigated, interviewed by multiple US agencies-- that's the FBI, DHS, State Department," "Counterterrorism Unit, Intelligence Community." "It's not an easy process, can take up to two years." "Why would ISIS send somebody through that process?" "Well, that's a good question for ISIS, but we know that they have tried to do it." "I know your state was recently embroiled in a debate surrounding whether or not to let Syrian refugee families into Texas." "What was your stance on that?" "I'm hopeful that my bill will pass, so that we can, again, put a better system in place" "And so you didn't want those families accepted until a new vetting process was in place?" "Well, they submitted a statement from me that our intelligence services have-- are warning that they are trying to exploit it." "But the Justice Department came back and called the evidence that State was putting forward uninformed and speculative." "Well, I don't want to get into all the ins and outs of that case." "That's a state attorney general making his case." "I don't know the-- all the specifics on this family." "I understand the security concern, but by hitting the brakes on accepting refugees into our country are we in some way closing the door to the most vulnerable population in the world?" "And isn't that sort of the most un-American thing we can be doing?" "No, I think it's very pro-American to protect American lives, and I would argue that until I'm given assurance by the secretary of Homeland, the FBI director, the director of National Intelligence that these people don't pose a threat to our national security," "I'm uncomfortable." "If we don't do this right, Americans could die, and that's what we're trying to stop." "Toboni:" "Congressman McCaul's bill passed the House, but failed in the Senate." "So for now, we won't be closing our doors to refugees." "But the rhetoric surrounding this legislation may be aiding terrorist recruitment." "Donald Trump's recent comments about barring Muslims from entering the United States are now part of a recruitment video for a terror group affiliated with Al Qaeda." "Toboni:" "And the idea that terror groups could seize on this deeply polarized climate to inspire new attacks, has American counter-terrorism units preparing for the worst." "We've seen what happened in San Bernardino." "So we're talking about now multiple-pronged attacks using heavy weapons and improvised explosives." "Toboni:" "We spoke to the head of the NYPD's" "Counter Terrorism Unit, John Miller, about the evolution of the terrorist threat." "We're in what's being referred to as a cycle of terror." "9/11 happens, we invade Iraq." "ISIS rises, we're now air-striking ISIS." "Are we under more of a threat because of how we're reacting to terrorists?" "You have to take into account that over the last couple of years, between 65 and 85 percent of the killing worldwide in the name of terrorism has been carried out by two groups that didn't even exist before 9/11." "ISIL, the Islamic State, and Boko Haram." "So the world is getting to be, continually, a more dangerous place." "And that-- That's a real challenge." "What's the current threat to the US, and more specifically, New York, right now?" "At any given time, we have three or four major cases going on into long-term threats, and, as disturbing as it may sound, is a new normal." "(sirens blare)" "Toboni:" "That new normal means we're going to be on high alert for the foreseeable future." "And the biggest question we face going forward is what to do about the millions of refugees who want protection in the West." "It's a huge decision with far-reaching consequences, not just for these families, but for our political process and the fabric of our country."