Dutch Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber rejected a plan proposed by members of parliament to allow Syrian refugees in the Netherlands to temporarily return to their homeland without losing their refugee status.
The country's lower house of parliament had voted on the temporary measure to give Syrians the opportunity to visit their homeland after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime and decide whether it was safe enough to live there again. This proposal was proposed by the GroenLinks-PvdA and the CDA parties, but the proposal was rejected by the cabinet, which claimed that it would have consequences for asylum procedures or residence permits.
Not in compliance with asylum law
Minister Marjolein Faber previously wrote on her Twitter account in a letter to parliament, saying: "I discussed the proposal in the cabinet on March 14, and the government decided not to implement it." She stated that such an arrangement is not in compliance with asylum law.
Refugees still in the asylum process or holding a temporary residence permit in the Netherlands are currently not allowed to travel to their country of origin, and a number of Syrian refugees have been denied asylum as a result of this decision.
German political parties such as the GroenLinks-PvdA and the CDA hope that Syrians will be able to make a better decision about their return after a short visit to their homeland.
A similar ruling was issued in the 1990s regarding Bosnian refugees who were considering returning home after the wars in the former Yugoslavia.
Encouraging Voluntary Return
"If Syrian asylum seekers or holders of a temporary residence permit return to Syria, are safe there, and are able to return safely, this is an indication that the fear associated with asylum no longer exists," Minister Faber was quoted as saying by the website ridderkerksdagblad.
Since the beginning of the war in Syria in 2011, approximately 150,000 Syrians have fled to the Netherlands. At the end of last year, the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell. The economic situation remains dire, with virtually no water or electricity, and a severe housing shortage.
Free one-way flights
This month, Faber staff distributed leaflets in asylum centers where Syrians could request information about returning to their country of origin and how the ministry could help.
The minister announced her campaign on the X platform: "Celebrating Eid al-Fitr at home again? Our information campaign for voluntary return to Syria has begun!"
Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Freedom Party, has repeatedly said that Syrians should return home and rebuild their country, while Faber published a leaflet encouraging Syrians to demand a free one-way flight before the end of Ramadan.
There has been no talk yet of forced return. The cabinet has expressed its willingness to consider this matter when the situation in Syria is safe again. A review of the security situation is expected to take place next May.
Syrians currently constitute the largest refugee group in the Netherlands after Yemenis. In 2023, 27,140 temporary asylum residence permits were granted, 2,495 fewer than in 2022 and 2,435 more than in 2021.
The most common nationalities granted these types of residence permits in 2023 were Syrian (55-9 percent) and Yemeni (9-8 percent).
Fares Al-Rifai - Zaman Al-Wasl
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