DISINFO: Syrian refugees can’t return due to the Western sanctions
SUMMARY
Illegal economic sanctions and the blockade imposed by the US regime and its allies are among the biggest obstacles that prevent the creation of adequate conditions for the return of Syrian refugees, who face strong pressure abroad for them not to come back.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Syria.
Contrary to the claim, Syrian refugees don’t face any pressure to preventing them from returning. In many cases they decide not to do so out of fear of retaliation from the regime of Bashar Al Assad. Several media and civil society organisations documented cases of Syrian refugees returning to their country only to be arrested, forced into conscription in the army, and harassed by security forces.
Within the context of the Syrian conflict, EU sanctions, imposed since 9 May 2011, respond to the repression perpetrated on the Syrian people by the Syrian regime and its supporters, including through the use of live ammunition against peaceful protesters and the regime’s involvement in the proliferation and use of chemical weapons. EU sanctions against the regime were extended in May 2020 for one year, and in October 2020, seven new individual ministers were added to the list.
The goal of these measures is not to destroy Syria or wage an economic war, but to put pressure on the Syrian regime to halt its repression and negotiate a lasting political settlement of the Syrian crisis in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 under UN auspices. They are part and parcel of the EU’s wider approach to the Syria crisis, as outlined in the EU strategy on Syria. EU sanctions are designed in a way that only targets the specific individuals and entities on the sanctions list, avoiding negative impacts on the population. They comply with all obligations under international law, in particular international refugee law, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law.
As for the return of Syrian refugees, UNHCR states that the conditions for a safe, voluntary and dignified return, as per international law, are not currently met. Eight years after the outbreak of the conflict, the situation in Syria is still critical, with millions of Syrians displaced and in need of protection and humanitarian assistance. The potential for violence remains high.
See other examples of these disinformation narratives, such as claims that sanctions on Syria are illegal and aim to destroy the country, that EU sanctions bypass the UN, that the US wants to divide Syria or that the EU supports terrorists and not the sovereignty of Syria.