By 2015, the civil war in Syria was already in its fourth year, having displaced half of its population of 22 million, who poured into neighbouring countries of Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.
But it was the spectre of millions of Syrians pouring into Europe which touched off a political firestorm.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
