EU working on returns to Syria; Frontex says over 1,000 since March

Brussels – Over a thousand voluntary returns from EU territory back home, Syria. Frontex, the EU’s coastguard and border guard agency, has been helping to restore a situation of normality to the country after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, allowing those who have enjoyed protection to start afresh on their new national course. Fourteen Member States from which Frontex has facilitated the transfer of Syrian nationals to the Middle East, the agency said in a statement.

“This significant milestone reflects the Agency’s continued commitment to safe and dignified returns,” said Hans Leijtens, the Frontex Executive Director. “Returning home is a deeply human aspiration. For many, it means reuniting with family, reclaiming their lives, and restoring their dignity.” 

The work of the EU agency is in addition to that of international bodies. The Commissioner for Home Affairs and Immigration, Magnus Brunner, in particular, points out that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that “over 356.200 Syrians have returned to Syria via neighboring countries since early December 2024, and that nearly 890,000 internally displaced persons have returned to their home region since November 2024.” This is the picture provided in his answer to the parliamentary question filed to take stock of the situation. Regarding the asylum seekers aspect, “the EU is committed to helping create the conditions for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees.”

 https://www.eunews.it/2025/03/13/ue-siria-leadership-al-sahraa/

This is why a stable, politically solid, inclusive country is needed. The European Union is betting on the new leadership and, in a sign of good faith, lifted the sanctions imposed in the past and that were in force for all these years. At the last EU Foreign Affairs Council, the foreign ministers of the EU Member States decided to remove 24 entities subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources from the European blacklist. Many of these entities are banks, including the Central Bank of Syria, or companies operating in key sectors for Syria’s economic recovery.