Assad reaches out to refugees

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian government officials vowed Monday to ensure the safe return of refugees and urged Western countries to encourage the process by lifting sanctions.

Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said the refugees’ return is a top priority for Damascus, adding that “the Syrian government will facilitate their return by all means.” He added that the country would welcome any foreign assistance, provided it comes with no preconditions.

Public Administration Minister Hussein Makhlouf said authorities are working to rebuild hospitals, schools and other infrastructure to help accommodate refugees.

President Bashar Assad’s forces, with Russian air support, have won a series of victories in recent months against opposition fighters, who are now mainly confined to the northern Idlib province. The fighting is over in much of the country, but many of the more than 5 million refugees fear mandatory conscription or reprisal from government forces if they return. Others have nowhere to go after their homes and businesses were destroyed.

Speaking in Damascus, Makhlouf claimed the government has restored more than 5,000 schools and 250 hospitals, and that about 3.5 million internally displaced people have regained their homes in Syria.

“The return of refugees is a necessary condition for the country’s rebuilding and development,” he said.

Makhlouf called on Western countries to lift an economic embargo imposed early in the seven-year conflict that was aimed at pressuring Assad to step down, noting that it would help restore the Syrian economy and encourage the refugees’ return.

His statement echoed calls by Russian officials, who urged the U.S. and its Western allies to provide humanitarian assistance to Syria and help rebuild its economy.

The United Nations refugee agency says it is premature to promote returns to Syria as it is still dangerous, but that refugees who want to return should be supported.