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PoliticsSyria

UN urges West to lift sanctions against post-Assad Syria

January 26, 2025

The UN refugee agency says 200,000 Syrians have already returned home since the fall of Bashar Assad. But it warns that Western sanctions still in place are an "obstacle" to the return of millions of refugees.

https://p.dw.com/p/4pdPJ
Syrian refugees check their house and surroundings in Hammuriyeh on the outskirts of Damascus (FILE: January 14, 2025)
Syrians displaced by the war are returning to their houses after the Assad regime was overthrown (FILE: January 14, 2025)Image: LOUAI BESHARA/AFP

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Saturday called on Western governments to remove sanctions against Syria as they are an "obstacle" to the return of millions of refugees.

The number of Syrians wishing to return "had reached almost zero. It's now nearly 30% in the space of a few weeks," said Grandi during a visit to Damascus where he met with Syria's de facto leader Ahmed Sharaa.

Since longtime ruler Bashar Assad was overthrown last month, around 200,000 Syrian refugees have already returned home from neighboring countries, according to Grandi.

Return to Syria: Balancing hope and apprehension

International sanctions against Syria

During the 13-year civil war in Syria, Western powers including the European Union and the United States imposed heavy sanctions against Assad's government.

"Sanctions were created for another situation. So, they have to be reviewed and hopefully lifted," said Grandi. "Sanctions are an important obstacle at the moment for the return of refugees."

The interim government, which took power after rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) toppled the Assad regime, has repeatedly called for the sanctions to be lifted.

Syria's new administration aims to bring home the roughly 6 million Syrians who fled abroad and the millions who are internally displaced.

"If sanctions are lifted, this will improve the conditions in the places where people return," Grandi said. "It will be an additional factor to encourage people to return."

West mulls easing sanctions

Some Western governments want to wait and see if the new Syrian leadership is committed to an inclusive transition like it promised.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the US issued a six-month sanctions exemption for some sectors, including energy.

The European Union is expected to follow suit when EU foreign ministers meet to discuss the issue on Monday.

ess/wd (AP, AFP, Reuters)