Faced with one of the greatest refugee crises in modern history, in which some 11 million Syrians have been displaced, 4 million have fled their country, and 700,000\u201d\u201dmostly women and children\u201d\u201dhave risked their lives to reach Europe, some Americans shrink from even the modest humanitarian response outlined by President Obama of resettling 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year.<\/p>\n
Fear is an understandable reaction to danger, but it\u2019s an unreliable guide to policy and, often, to our own well-being. As cooler heads have noted, the refugee application process already includes background checks, in-depth inter\u00c2\u00adviews, and vetting by the National Counterterrorism Center, the FBI\u2019s Terrorist Screening Center, and the departments of state, defense, and homeland security. Refugees from Syria are already given additional scrutiny. The investigation takes from 18 to 24 months.<\/p>\n