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and economic problems. The most serious problems faced by young people due to the
participating in the war are killings, disability, imprisonment and subsequent violation
of human rights. In addition, the low level of education among young people in the re-
gion makes them vulnerable to the exploitation of terrorist organizations (Snoubar and
Hawal, 2015, pp. 132).The marginalization of young people and the lack of appropriate
social policies may lead to the transformation of the energy, skills and capabilities of
youth to delinquency and makes a fertile ground for radicalism (Fuller, 2004).In other
words, extensive participation of Middle East youngsters in acts of war and conflict or
exposure to it has serious consequences on their psychological and physical well-be-
ing. There are many serious consequences on young people, such as murder, the exp-
loitation of young people in suicide bombings, detention and subjected to torture and
permanent physical disabilities.
On the social level, the crisis in the Middle East has increased poverty and unemploy-
ment, family disintegration and the forced migration of young people to neighboring
countries or to Europe. The ongoing conflicts and high unemployment among young
people in the Middle East and North Africa led to increased migratory movements wit-
hin the region and to Europe (IOM, 2014). For example, high rates of unemployment
among young people and the spread of poverty and political oppression have fueled
the idea of Tunisians’ emigration (De Bel-Air, 2016).
Forced migration is one of the most important problems facing Middle East youngsters.
Civil wars and conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa have resulted in the migrati-
on of thousands of young people in search of survival, or a better life. For example, war
and the conflict in Syria has led to asylum of 4.8 million people to neighboring countries
such as Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. Also, the violence and the conflict in
Iraq has forced 230,000 Iraqis to turn to neighboring countries where Turkey hosts over
than half of the number. In 2016, there were the attempts of hundreds of thousands of
Iraqis to use the sea to reach Europe (UNHCR, 2017). Thousands of displaced people
arrived at the shores of Europe; most of them were young people. In the first seven
months of 2015, 67 % of them were between the ages of 14 and 34. While a fear about
these young people constitutes a threat to security, economy and culture of European
(Mercy Corps, 2015), the young asylum seekers in Libya were detained and impriso-
ned in inhumane conditions and subjected to violence and torture (Naik et al, 2015).
However asylum was not the best solution to the crisis of young people. The process
of asylum in neighboring countries and Europe has made young people much more vul-
nerable to many of the problems and hence, there exists no difference between asylum
seekers and those that lived in an environment of war and conflict. During the asylum
process many young people are exposed to murder or drowning, detention, abduction
and exploitation and other associated psychological, social and health problems. All of
these problems faced by young refugees in neighboring countries or others are simply
