People fleeing armed conflict in Syria first find refuge in neighbouring countries like Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey. Only then do they decide to move on to other, more distant destinations. This piece explores the reasons that drive Syrian refugees in the Middle East to a secondary migration. The author argues that this migration is due, on the one hand, to the inadequate legal protection they receive in the neighbouring countries and, on the other, to chronic instability in the region. He suggests that, since Western countries are not without blame for the Syrian situation, their response to the Syrian refugee crisis should be guided not only by a duty of variable-geometry solidarity but also a principle of responsibility according to which each party’s burden is determined by its level of engagement or disengagement in the crisis.