Many things have been blamed for the refugee crisis in the Middle East and now Europe, including ISIS, the Arab Spring, and American intervention in the region.
Most recently, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad blamed the West for supporting "terrorist" organizations and thus prolonging the war.
But this explanation ignores what's really at the root of the refugee crisis: Assad.
A people smuggler in Istanbul, who spoke to BuzzFeed, said Assad's war was "about the only reason for the refugees."
He told BuzzFeed that he guessed that about 90% of the Syrian refugees he smuggled into Europe were fleeing Assad.
"It will never end," the smuggler said. "People will keep trying to get out."
And the war seems set to intensify as the Russian military bolsters its presence in the country.
From the start of the civil war, Assad has not just been targeting rebel groups rising up against him, but also civilians. Since January 2014, his regime has been launching barrels — filled with steel shrapnel and explosive devices — from helicopters right onto towns and villages.
This technique has killed huge numbers of civilians and rendered life unlivable for survivors.
The Assad regime also directly targets civilians by bombing hospitals, schools, bakeries, and outside mosques after Friday prayers, claiming to target "terrorists" in rebel strongholds.
Just last month, an attack on a crowded market in Douma killed over a hundred civilians. His message to the population is clear: Either you support the regime or you die. This strategy leaves no other choice for many civilians but to flee.
Pegged as one of the most brutal wars in recent history, Assad's regime has also used chemical arms, torture, rape, and starvation against Syria's population.
So although some Syrians are also fleeing the brutality of ISIS, the majority of the refugees arriving in Europe from Syria are fleeing Assad's bombs.
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And Syrians are slowly losing hope that the war will ever end, forcing them out of their country and trying to find shelter in Europe.
Mohammed is a 30-year-old Syrian who has fled the country with his pregnant wife. He told The Washington Post that everyone he knows is leaving the country.
"It is as though all of Syria is emptying," he said.
Syrians now make up over half of the refugees who have arrived in Europe this year. This huge flow of people has been seen as a windfall for many economic migrants who try to make their way into Europe, making an already desperate situation worse.
Check out BuzzFeed's report >>
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