NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) – The governments of eight European Union countries said Friday they need to reassess the situation in Syria to allow the voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
In a joint declaration, officials from Austria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Malta and Poland called for a reassessment that would lead to “more effective ways of dealing with” Syrian refugees trying to reach the European Union. He said he agreed. Countries.
The eight countries meeting in the Cyprus capital said that although complete political stability had not been achieved, the situation in Syria was making “considerable progress”.
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Cyprus has seen a surge in Syrian refugees arriving on rickety boats, mainly from Lebanon, in recent months.
Earlier this month, the EU announced a 1 billion euro ($1.06 billion) aid package for Lebanon aimed at tightening border controls to stem the flow of asylum seekers and migrants to Cyprus and Italy.
The eight countries said the EU should further increase its support to Lebanon in order to “reduce the risk of further flows from Lebanon into the EU.”
“Decisions about who has the right to cross the borders of a Member State should be taken by the governments of the Member States concerned, not by criminal organizations engaged in migrant smuggling or human trafficking,” the joint declaration states. .
The call to reassess Syria comes as the 15-member EU urges EU member states to strengthen cooperation with countries along migration routes to support local populations in the hope of preventing them from approaching the EU. It was held the day after the call was made.
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Cypriot officials said that a reassessment of the situation in Syria does not necessarily mean that Syrian refugees will be forcibly returned to their country. In return, Syrian refugees from areas redesignated as safe areas will lose benefits, benefits and the right to work, discouraging others from coming to Cyprus.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details of the proposal publicly.
While both countries “fully accept” the need to support Syrian refugees in accordance with international law, the talks will open a broader discussion within the 27-nation member state about the process of granting international protection to migrants. He said he hopes it will be successful.
Greece’s immigration minister, Dimitris Kailidis, said: “What Europeans want from us… is solutions, viable, practical and pragmatic solutions.”
In Lebanon, where anti-refugee sentiment has recently increased, more than 300 Syrian refugees returned to Syria in convoys earlier this week.
Lebanese officials have long appealed to the international community to resettle refugees in other countries or help them return to Syria.
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