Netherlands plans long-term forced deportation of Syrian refugees

The Dutch Ministry of Asylum and Migration has announced its intention to forcibly return Syrian refugees in the long term, RTL Nieuws reported.

The Netherlands is seeking to follow in the footsteps of other countries such as Germany and Austria, which have announced a reassessment of the asylum status of Syrians.

This is also set to happen in the Netherlands.

According to the channel, the Dutch Minister of Asylum and Migration confirmed that the government is considering the possibility of voluntary refugee returns as a first step. She said: "We will work to help Syrians who want to return now, as much as possible." However, forced returns are also an option. She added: "Like Germany and other countries, we will start forced returns as soon as the conditions are right."

Currently, there is still a "temporary freeze" policy that prevents new asylum applications from being processed, and rejected asylum seekers are not asked to leave.

In recent years, the Netherlands has not deported any Syrian refugees, due to the unstable security situation in Syria and the severing of diplomatic relations with the Assad regime.

According to the Dutch Foreign Ministry, Syrian residence permits will only be re-evaluated after clear conditions are met, most notably that Syria - or parts of it - is classified as a safe zone, based on official reports issued by the ministry.

Agreements must also be reached with the Syrian government to ensure that returning refugees are received.

As part of these efforts, the Dutch Special Envoy, "Gijs Geerlach", visited Syria in early January, where he discussed with officials there issues related to "sustainable stability", the rights of minorities such as Christians and Kurds, and the return of refugees, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.

"At the moment, the issue of re-evaluating or withdrawing permits is not being raised in the Netherlands," according to the ministry.

It adds: "Re-evaluating will only be possible when there is a clear picture of the new situation in Syria."

Regarding the reopening of the Dutch embassy in Damascus, the Ministry of Asylum and Immigration said: "It is too early to talk about that now."

Hassan Kadour - Zaman Al-Wasl