Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reluctantly supports Syrian refugees flocking to America because of humanitarian factors.

According to Alan Yuhas of the Guardian, “I hate the concept of it,” said Trump about the United States’ role in taking on the refugees, “but on a humanitarian basis, you have to.”

Reporters previously asked Trump his opinion on what to do with the thousands of refugees fleeing the Middle East, and Trump did not give a clear answer.

According to Yuhas, Trump believes the United States has a responsibility in helping the Syrian refugees who have been experiencing civil war since 2011.

Trump elaborated that President Obama is to blame for this humanitarian crisis. Trump believes that Obama did not do enough in regard to the 2012 chemical warfare inflicted on Syrians by their President, Bashar al-Assad.

“They’re [Syrian people] living in hell, and something has to be done,” said Trump.

Americans are surprised to hear Trump’s support for immigrants after he publicly shared his plan to deport illegal immigrants, specifically Mexicans.

The larger issue at hand is whether nations around the world can handle a massive influx of refugees.

Mass immigration in the past, specifically during the American Industrial Revolution, led to a shortage of jobs, homes and social services.

Germany is currently the nation accommodating the most refugees.

Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times explained German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s plan.

According to McManus, Merkel stated that Germany could handle up to 500,000 refugees a year.

“But it’s also partly because Germans face a shrinking population and a labor shortage; far from worrying about immigrants taking jobs, they are looking for new workers,” said McManus.

Syrians are not the only refugees fleeing. Other Middle Easterners such as those from Afghanistan and Iraq are making the long and dangerous journey across Europe as well.

“It’s unrealistic to expect many countries to go the way of Germany and throw open the doors to unrestricted immigration from the troubled Middle East,” said McManus.

Many European and North American nations are already facing levels of unemployment.

Unfortunately, the majority of help at this time may be restricted mostly to food, water, and first aid to the refugees.