Christian Wenande
February 22nd, 2019

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The Damascus region is reported to be safer (photo: Bernard Gagnon)

According to a new report jointly compiled by the Immigration Services and aid organisation Danish Refugee Council, it has become safer to travel to the areas of Syria controlled by Syrian government forces.

Security has particularly improved in the province of Damascus, where the capital is situated, although the report doesn’t touch on whether it is safe to send refugees back to the embattled country.

“I’m pleased that the conditions in part of Syria are improved,” said the immigration minister, Inger Støjberg.

“It’s now up to the immigration authorities to evaluate how the report should influence the processing of specific asylum cases – including the extension of existing stay permits.”

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DF dazzled 
The report was commissioned as part of a mission to Damascus and Beirut in November last year as part of an effort to gather information concerning the problems Syrian asylum-seekers face when returning to their homeland. Støjberg and the Immigration Ministry were not involved in the report.

Dansk Folkeparti (DF) was quick to praise the report (here in Danish), stating that it pretty much green-lights sending back refugees to Syria.

But such an assumption would be incorrect, according to Eva Singer, the head of the asylum arena for Danish Refugee Council. In fact, she contended, sending home refugees is not something politicians should evaluate.

“It’s always been an individual evaluation from the Immigration Services, and we will have to see whether the authorities will change the evaluation based on the information,” Singer told DR Nyheder.

Singer pointed to the fact that some Syrians have fled their country because of the regime itself, so they could face challenges if they are forced to return – whatever the security situation may be.