SYRIA DEMANDS ITS REFUGEES BACK - CRITICISES WESTERN COUNTRIES DRAGGING THEIR HEELS

Time to go home?

During the Syrian Civil War, millions of Syrians fled to Europe and other places as refugees. Now it seems that Syria wants them back after a powerful speech by Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Moualem at the recent UN General Assembly.

Speaking on Saturday (29th September), Moualem, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, thanked the countries which have taken in the refugees, but said it was time for them to come back home, as the Syrian Civil War is now practically finished. 

“The government continues to rehabilitate the areas destroyed by terrorists, to restore normalcy," he told the meeting. "All conditions are now present for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees to the country, the country they had to leave because of terrorism and the unilateral economic measures that targeted their daily lives and their livelihoods.

True enough, thousands of Syrian refugees abroad have started their journey back home.

From this podium I would like to stress the following - the return of each and every Syrian refugee is a priority for the Syrian state. All doors are wide open for All Syrians abroad to return voluntarily and safely...

Thanks to the help of Russia, the Syrian government will spare no effort to facilitate the return of refugees and meet their basic needs. Therefore a special committee was recently established to coordinate the return of refugees to their places of origin in Syria, and to help them regain their lives once again."

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem

Moualem also criticised the uncooperative attitude of some of the Western countries to which the refugees fled, and accused them of trying to prevent the refugees returning to their homelands.
  

"We have called upon the international community and humanitarian organisations to facilitate these returns. However, some Western countries, in line with their dishonest behaviour since the start of the war in Syria, continue to prevent the return of refugees. They are spreading irrational fears among refugees. They are politicising what should be a purely humanitarian issue, using refugees as a bargaining ship to serve their political agenda and linking the return of refugees to the political process."

See the full speech here:

SUPPORT THE SAFE RETURN OF THE REFUGEES TO THEIR HOMELAND