Source: European Parliament
16.10.2024
Question for written answer E-002106/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Marieke Ehlers (PfE), Sebastiaan Stöteler (PfE)
The Commission notes in its July 2024 report entitled ‘Assessment of third countries’ level of cooperation on readmission in 2023’ (COM(2024)0340) that Syria was excluded from the assessment, as it was ‘not possible to establish effective operational contacts due to the conditions on the ground’.
In July 2024, eight Member States expressed an interest in thawing relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In June 2024, seven Member States stated that they agreed to reassess ‘more effective ways of handling’ Syrian refugees and that the situation in Syria had ‘considerably evolved’. In September 2024, President al-Assad granted another amnesty, notably for people convicted of military desertion and minor crimes.
In 2020, Denmark became the first Member State to revoke the residency permits of Syrian refugees from the Damascus region, citing the improved security situation around the capital. In November 2023, the Nordic countries agreed to cooperate more closely on the deportation of migrants who entered those countries illegally.
In light of these events:
- 1.Is the Commission, together with the Member States, exploring possibilities for promoting the voluntary and involuntary return of Syrian migrants to Syria?
- 2.If not, why has the Commission not taken any action, given the growing support and cooperation among the Member States in seeking the effective return of Syrian migrants to Syria?
Submitted: 16.10.2024