Western countries prevent return of Syrian refugees to exploit this humanitarian file for political purposes

The return of Syrian refugees to their homeland represents a fundamental goal of the Syrian government, and measures and facilities have been taken to provide them with a dignified return, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Bassam Sabbagh, confirmed.

He indicated that some Western countries are the main culprit in preventing the return of refugees with the aim of exploiting this humanitarian file further for political purposes.

Speaking at The Global Refugee Forum 2023 in Geneva Sabbagh said “Over the decades, the world has witnessed refugee crises and human suffering caused by wars and conflicts sparked by some parties in many places, which cast their negative repercussions on several countries, especially the countries hosting refugees, and Syria was not immune from those repercussions”.

He added that Syria, which over the decades hosted refugees from many countries and was a safe haven and a home for decent living, has faced, since the beginning of 2011, a terrorist war that aimed to destabilize its security and stability, and destroy the development achievements it had realized, which prompted a large number of to internally displace or seek refuge in other countries, not to mention the economic blockade resulting from unilateral coercive measures imposed by Western countries which has contributed to increasing rates of asylum and displacement.