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The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) is pleased to invite you to a panel discussion entitled, ‘Pathways to Safe Return: Addressing Challenges for Syrian Refugees in the Wake of Regime Normalization’. The event is set to be held online on Thursday, July 6, 2023, from 06:00 PM-07:00 PM, Syria’s time.
The panel is being organized by the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center and will be co-hosted by the Immigration Policy Lab at Stanford University and ETH Zurich, European Institute of Peace, and SNHR.
After twelve years of civil war and humanitarian suffering in Syria, the regime of President Bashar al-Assad remains entrenched. With no political solution to the conflict in sight, there is regional momentum toward normalization with the regime. In May, Syria was welcomed back into the Arab League. Several Arab nations have concluded that Assad is here to stay and that they require his cooperation to address challenges such as refugees and the illicit drug trade. While there appears to be less of a willingness to normalize relations with Syria in the United States and Europe, Western governments have increasingly directed their attention elsewhere, namely the Russia-Ukraine war.
In light of these developments, the question of what issues need to be addressed for the millions of Syrian refugees living in neighboring countries—mainly Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan—to safely return home is more pertinent than ever. Refugees face pressure to return voluntarily (from hostile governments and legal restrictions in host states) as well as obstacles within Syria (including discriminatory laws and mandatory conscription in Syria). As death certificates now demonstrate, the Syrian regime has killed hundreds of civilians in its prisons, including activists from the uprising against its rule. What can Arab League countries and the international community do to enable or facilitate a safe return for Syrian refugees?
Speakers
Fadel Abdul Ghany, SNHR Executive Director
Ala’ Alrababa’h, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Public Policy Group and Immigration Policy Lab at ETH Zurich.
Marie Forstier, Senior Advisor at the European Institute for Peace (EIP)
Moderator
Maha Yahya, Director of the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
The discussion will be in English, and will be broadcast live on SNHR’s social media channels.
SNHR Twitter
SNHR Facebook
SNHR YouTube
For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Abdullah Bassam at:
