To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of current efforts to normalise relations between Syria and its Arab neighbours; and in particular, what is their assessment of the possibility of a general amnesty allowing refugees outside Syria to return home and improved humanitarian access to Syria.
Answered on
2 May 2023
Conditional engagement, tied to UNSCR 2254, is more likely to advance the political process. Conditions in Syria do not currently allow for safe return of refugees. Previous regime 'amnesties' have not been reliable. Genuine progress on arbitrary detention, missing persons and the justice sector would help to establish conditions to enable returns. While we welcome increased humanitarian access following the February earthquakes and call for it to be sustained, we note that previous limits were due to regime and Russian obstruction.