Contact with Assad is supposed to ease the refugee crisis
The EU countries are in agreement: To solve the refugee crisis, closer cooperation with the Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, is necessary. A coalition of countries such as Italy and Austria propose the appointment of a Syria Envoy. This individual could strengthen diplomatic relations with all Syrian parties, according to a discussion paper presented at an EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels.
Facing the continued influx of refugees from Syria, a group of EU countries advocates for closer ties with the Assad regime. Concretely, this coalition, including countries like Italy and Austria, suggests the appointment of a Syria Envoy. This person could strengthen diplomatic relations with all Syrian parties, the paper states.
Besides Italy and Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Greece, Slovenia, and Slovakia support this initiative. Germany has not joined in.
According to the paper, the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the civil war-torn country worsens the migration flows towards Europe. The EU should contribute to creating humane living conditions in Syria to facilitate voluntary and secure returns of refugees. The ten-point proposal aims to be a realistic, proactive, and effective European Syria policy.
Prospects for returnees from Syria?
In the past, EU sanctions against Syria, the authors argue, have not had the desired effect and have rather negatively impacted the general population rather than the decision-makers. They suggest that supporting the private sector could create new jobs and prospects for people who wish to return to Syria.
In recent months, Syrian refugees have been arriving in Cyprus and the EU in large numbers, often using barely seaworthy boats from Lebanon. Many have lost their lives during these crossings. In May, Cyprus and seven other EU countries called for a reevaluation of the situation in Syria at a migration conference. Not all regions there are war zones; there are also secure areas where refugees could return, they argued.
Since the EU pledged a billion euros in financial aid to Lebanon, the number of new Syrian arrivals on Cyprus has decreased. In Germany, Syrians have been granted an abscheidestopp (residency permit) due to the country's situation since years.
Hunger in the country
The civil war in Syria began in the spring of 2011 with protests against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The regime responded with violence. The conflict evolved into a civil war with international involvement. The country descended into chaos and misery.
A political solution to the conflict is still not in sight, many years later. According to earlier UN estimates, over 12.9 million people in the country will suffer from hunger this year. One in three schoolchildren attended school without breakfast, and eight out of nine schoolchildren could not meet their minimum caloric requirements.
Internationally, Assad has recently achieved notable successes. For instance, the Arab League reinstated Syria's membership, which had been suspended due to the civil war.
Given the urgent need to improve the situation in Syria and reduce refugee inflows into the EU, these EU countries advocate for enhanced engagement with the Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad. As part of this strategy, they propose appointing a Syria Envoy, who could potentially strengthen diplomatic relations with all Syrian parties, potentially creating better prospects for returnees by supporting the Syrian private sector.
Furthermore, the EU's continued support for countries hosting Syrian refugees, such as Lebanon, has led to a decrease in new arrivals on countries like Cyprus. This highlights the potential impact of cooperative efforts between EU countries and Syrian authorities in resolving the refugee crisis.
