Ahmad Baccora, the Coordinator of the Refugees and Displaced Persons Working Group in the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), said that the Assad regime is blackmailing the international community over the refugee issue. The regime claims it would allow the return of refugees and provide a safe environment for them in exchange for ending its political isolation, easing international economic sanctions, and initiating reconstruction programs.
In a press statement, Baccora emphasized that the reality is starkly different from the regime’s claims. The regime has not fulfilled any of its promises; instead, it has arrested many forcibly deported refugees from Lebanon and Jordan and refused to admit hundreds of those wishing to return.
Baccora highlighted that these actions reveal the Assad regime’s true intentions and indicate the deceptive strategy it is employing to manipulate the international community. This mishandling of the Syrian crisis has perpetuated humanitarian crises and complicated efforts to reach a political solution.
According to its monthly report, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented 102 cases of arbitrary arrest and detention by the Assad regime in May alone, including 23 refugees returning from Lebanon and Jordan. The report underscores that the regime “targets refugees who were forcibly returned from Lebanon with arrest.”
Additionally, Lebanese and Arab media have reported that the Assad regime refused to admit hundreds of Syrian refugees who were forcibly returned from Lebanon and Jordan.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
