Source: European Parliament
The fall of Assad’s criminal[1] regime marks a historic moment for the Syrian people, who — irrespective of religion and ethnicity — have endured immense suffering under its rule.
This is a moment of hope, but also uncertainty, and all Syrians, in the country and the diaspora, must have an opportunity to reunify, stabilise and rebuild their country. It is essential that all Syrians be protected and that the transition be inclusive[2] of all components of society.
Whereas the competence for safety and diplomatic protection of citizens lies primarily with the Member States, the EU supports Member States’ efforts to evacuate or repatriate citizens from conflict zones through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism[3], which coordinates disaster response and contributes to transport and operational support.
The EU is actively engaging with Syria’s new leadership to prevent expansion of terrorism working with partners within the Global Coalition against Da’esh[4] to share information, assessing and addressing the threat posed by Da’esh and its affiliates.
EU measures include counter-terrorism cooperation with regional partners; multilateral engagement with the United Nations (UN) and with the Global Counterterrorism Forum[5] as co-chair; security measures; support for repatriation including financial support through the EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility[6], rehabilitation, and reintegration; humanitarian aid, including mental health services; funding programmes to prevent and counter violent extremism, radicalisation and propaganda.
The EU provides humanitarian aid on a needs basis. Despite the highly challenging security environment, EU humanitarian partners, together with local organisations, are providing emergency assistance to all affected communities throughout the country.
- [1] As set out in the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions on the situation in the Middle East of 27 January 2025, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/fac/2025/01/27/
- [2] See footnote 1.
- [3] https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/eu-civil-protection-mechanism_en
- [4] https://theglobalcoalition.org/en/
- [5] https://www.thegctf.org/
- [6] https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/EU-UN-Global-Terrorism-Threats-Facility