Investment in Syria needed to prevent more migration waves - UN migration chief

States should invest in Syria’s transition following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime or could face future waves of migration, the director-general of the International Organization of Migration (IOM) has said in an interview with Euronews.

“What we're encouraging states to do is to really invest in this peacebuilding process, invest in the revitalisation of Syria, invest in humanitarian assistance,” director-general Amy Pope told Euronews on Monday, as EU foreign ministers met their Syrian counterpart in the ninth edition of a EU donor conference for Syria. 

The European Union unveiled almost €2.5 billion in additional support for Syrians during that conference, with the total donations by EU and partner donors reaching €5.8 billion.

“If people go home and they're subjected to violence or they don't feel safe, or they don't have a future, then they'll migrate out again," Pope added.

“Our goal is to make sure that the conversation that states are having around the return of Syrians is not being had in isolation,” she explained. “That is, that they’re being had in the context of the investment that is needed at this moment, not just in terms of financial investment, but also in terms of political investment in the way forward.”

In the wake of al-Assad’s fall, at least 14 EU member states - including Germany, France and Italy - moved to suspend the processing of asylum applications by Syrians.

Some of these governments have also indicated they are drawing up plans to facilitate the voluntary returns of refugees, with the Austrian Interior Minister instructing his ministry to prepare for their "orderly repatriation and deportation to Syria".

The idea of increasing voluntary returns to Syria had even gained traction before al-Assad’s regime fell, as governments across the bloc looked to harden their migration policies.

An increasing number of EU member states are now mulling so-called ‘go-and-see’ visits, which would allow Syrians to return to assess the conditions in their country while maintaining their protection status in their host country.

It’s an idea the UN is backing.

“It is helpful for people to go back and see what challenges they might have or what the situation on the ground looks like,” Pope said. “So we are supporting Syrians who wish to do that, but at the same time.”

“This is why the investment is so critical (...) If people go home and see that there's nothing left for them and there is no humanitarian assistance, or there is no investment in the rebuilding of their communities, then it's very likely that that news will go back to Syrian communities who are outside of Syria and have the effect of discouraging people from going back home.”

The French Interior Ministry said in February Syrian refugees in France could soon receive special permits, valid for up to three months, to return for so-called ‘exploratory visits’ without losing their legal status.

The UN’s refugee agency has found that 80% of Syrian refugees have expressed a desire to return home one day, while 27% have an “immediate intention” to return in the next 12 months.

Some 60% say they would be interested in short-term visits to assess the situation on the ground.