Syrian panel to facilitate return of refugees
DAMASCUS — Syria’s government is to set up a committee to coordinate repatriating millions of its nationals who fled the country’s seven-year conflict, state media has said.
The cabinet has “agreed to create a coordination body for the return of those displaced abroad to their cities and villages,” state news agency SANA reported.
The conflict has displaced more than five million Syrians outside the country, the United Nations says, with more than half displaced to Turkey and most of the rest split between Lebanon and Jordan.
The committee “will take the necessary measures to settle the status of all those who were displaced and secure their return as security and basic services return to different regions”, SANA said.
It will take steps towards “ensuring they can lead normal lives and practice their jobs as before the war” which broke out in 2011, it added.
The coordination body is to “intensify contact with friendly countries to provide all facilitations and take suitable steps towards their return”, SANA said.
President Bashar Al Assad’s regime has ousted rebels and militants from large parts of Syria since 2015 when its ally Russia launched a military intervention in the country.
But much of Syria lies in ruins, the economy is shattered, and many male refugees voice fear of being drafted into the regime’s armed forces.
Last month, Russia presented the United States with plans for the coordinated return of refugees to Syria.
The proposal includes the establishment of working groups in both Lebanon and Jordan, involving US and Russian officials.
Also in July, Russia’s chief Syria negotiator Alexander Lavrentiev visited Damascus, Amman and Beirut. —