Refugee crisis: Where are all these people coming from and why? – Independent September 9, 2015 by John Clark It is an era of violence in the Middle East and North Africa, with nine civil wars now going on in Islamic countries between Pakistan and Nigeria. This is why there are so many refugees fleeing for their lives. Half of the 23 million population of Syria have been forced from their homes, with four million becoming refugees in other countries. Patrick Cockburn. Independent. 8 September 2015 John ClarkShareTweetShare