LONDON: Syrian and British officials met in Damascus on Thursday to discuss international migration issues and efforts to facilitate the safe return of Syrian refugees.
Ann Snow, the UK’s special envoy for Syria, and Kingsley Green, the director of international migration affairs, met Syrian Deputy Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Abdul Qader Tahan, and Deputy Director of Immigration and Passports Col. Walid Arrabi to discuss cooperation on migration-related issues.
The talks focused on procedures and practical measures to facilitate the safe and orderly return of Syrian refugees, as reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency.
The Syrian civil war, which lasted from 2011 to 2024, displaced 12 million people, with at least 5 million Syrians becoming refugees in neighboring countries.
The UK granted asylum to over 30,000 Syrians between 2011 and 2021. Germany hosted the largest number of people fleeing the war, with at least 1 million Syrians residing in the country.
Following the fall of the Bashar Assad regime in December 2024, the migration issue has been a central topic of discussion between officials in the Syrian Arab Republic and Europe. The Syrian government has reaffirmed that it will encourage the “voluntary” return of Syrians living in Europe, as many international sanctions on Syria have been lifted to assist the country in recovery.
In March, Syria’s President Ahmad Al-Sharaa met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to discuss Berlin’s efforts to repatriate Syrian refugees.
