UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Saturday called on Western governments to remove sanctions against 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 was overthrown last month, around 200,000 Syrian refugees have already returned home from neighboring countries, according to Grandi.
International sanctions against Syria
During the 13-year civil war in Syria, Western powers including 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 toppled the Assad regime has repeatedly called for the sanctions to be lifted.
Syria’s new administration aims to bring the and the millions who are internally displaced home.
“, 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 on Monday.
ess/wd (AP, AFP, Reuters)
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