EU leaders who once shunned Syria consider reopening ties to calm their migration woes

As migration pressures mount across Europe, a group of EU leaders is now considering a controversial shift: reengaging with Syria after over a decade of diplomatic isolation. Leading the push is Italy, where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called on the EU to review its strategy toward Damascus to create conditions for Syrian refugees to voluntarily return home.

Meloni addressed the Italian Senate ahead of this week’s EU leaders’ meeting, saying, “It is necessary to review the European Union Strategy for Syria and to work with all actors, to create the conditions for Syrian refugees to return to their homeland in a voluntary, safe and sustainable way,”

This shift in tone comes as mainstream leaders face increasing pressure from far-right parties capitalizing on public demand to curb immigration, Politico reported.

Syria, led by President Bashar Assad, has been diplomatically sidelined since the EU severed ties in 2011 following a brutal crackdown on protesters that led to a prolonged civil war. Assad’s forces, with significant Russian backing, managed to retain power despite international condemnation for alleged chemical weapons use and systemic torture.

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Now, with the civil war largely in a stalemate, a group of EU nations, including Austria, Hungary, and Greece, is pushing to revisit ties with Syria, aiming to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees who make up a substantial portion of asylum seekers in Europe.

One EU diplomat expressed support for Meloni’s view, citing recent Middle Eastern unrest as further incentive to reevaluate the bloc’s Syria policy. “The situation in the Middle East has completely changed the discussion,” the diplomat said, referring to recent violence in Lebanon, which has already sent thousands of Syrians and Lebanese fleeing across borders.

But even as some countries advocate for a pragmatic approach, others remain firmly opposed. The Netherlands, for instance, has declared Syria unsafe for returnees, citing continued instability and the Assad regime’s poor human rights record. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp stated, “The Dutch policy is that Syria is not secure to return asylum seekers. Any change would need a clear, depoliticised mechanism to assess security conditions.”

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The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, echoed concerns about engaging Assad. In a letter to leaders in August, he underscored that Syria’s alliances with Russia and Iran have shaped its policies in ways that could clash with European values. “How the Syrian regime has been operating for decades is well known and documented,” Borrell wrote.

Still, EU officials say the option is worth exploring. Austria’s Alexander Schallenberg, a leading voice for re-engagement, argues that current migration management efforts have been insufficient and that it may be time for Europe to take a more “open-minded assessment” of Syria’s role in managing migrant flows.

With over a million Syrians already residing in Europe and anti-immigrant sentiment on the rise, leaders acknowledge that the issue has no easy solutions.