'Look...they all have smartphones!' is one increasingly tedious complaint that has been bubbling away on social media recently. But why will refugees be using expensive smartphones? Find out!
These people fleeing war in Syria and migrating to other countries aren’t poor at all! The photos of them using expensive Smartphones has sparked controversy and debate and it has been buzzing on social media.
Just weeks ago, some anti-immigration brigade were complaining that migrants are unskilled and just want their country's benefits, and now they’re arguing that migrants are too wealthy instead, it does raise an interesting question: Exactly how surprised should we be that immigrants from Syria carry smartphones?
Syria is not a rich country, but it is not a poor country either: it ranks as a lower middle income according to the World Bank. In 2007 Syria had a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of $1850 which is more than Egypt at the time, which was only at $1620.
Mobile phone penetration is similarly high in Syria as Egypt too. According to the CIA World Factbook in 2014 Syria had 87 mobile phones per 100 of the population, compared to Egypt’s 110 per 100 (the UK has 123 per 100 people).
So we know that Syria isn’t dirt poor and we know that there’s a lot of mobile phones, but why smartphones? Well, why not? It is hard to think of a more useful thing to own than a smartphone, especially if you're fleeing your home.