Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates – all relatively close to war-ravaged Syria and said by commentators to have the capacity to quickly house refugees – are yet to take any of the four million Syrians fleeing the region.
The news comes as record numbers embark on the life-threatening journey to Europe – and packed refugee camps in Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt come under threat from the Islamic State advance.
And although the tragic death of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi has seen European attitudes to the crisis change overnight, campaigners have slammed Gulf states' unwillingness to change tack.
Syrians must apply for tourist visas and work permits in order to have any hope of starting a new life in the Gulf – with few of the costly documents ever granted.
Amnesty International's Head of Refugee and Migrants' Rights, Sherif Elsayid-Ali, said: "The records of Gulf countries is absolutely appalling, in terms of actually showing compassion and sharing the responsibility of this crisis... It is a disgrace." » | Patrick Maguire | Saturday, September 5, 2015
