Sarah Reeves
Introduction
On December 8, 2024, following thirteen years of civil war in Syria, rebel forces overtook the nation’s capital of Damascus and freed civilians from the rule of former President Bashar al-Assad. Assad took control of the country in 2000, following 30 years of rule by his father, Hafez al-Assad. Although Bashar al-Assad’s rule began with the hope of a new era of political freedom, it took a turn for the worse in 2011 following the Arab Spring, which consisted of a series of protests against authoritarian rule throughout Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. In the Syrian protests, Assad and his administration cracked down violently on protestors, leaving evidence of chemical attacks on the Syrian people and bombings of cities at the hands of the president’s forces.
Civil War in Syria
Following the turn towards authoritarian rule, opposition rebel forces formed in Syria, and in 2012, the country broke out into a full-fledged civil war. Protests spread throughout the major Syrian cities of Damascus, Hama, Homs, and Deraa, to which Syrian forces responded using excessive force, ultimately injuring protestors and conducting mass arrests. Citizens also reported the use of extrajudicial killings and torture in detention centers that protestors were brought to. Over the past thirteen years, these initial protests have continued to sustain the civil war, with the ultimate goal of toppling a regime that they viewed as authoritarian and unrepresentative of the people. Prior to Assad’s exit, the two sides of the war consisted of Syrian government forces, with support from Russia, attempting to maintain Assad’s power and rebel groups made up of the Free Syrian Army, the Syrian National Army, and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Russia formally intervened in the Syrian conflict in September 2015, helping to stop past advancements made by opposition forces by supplying military aid. On the opposing side, HTS is a Syrian rebel group that historically opposed Assad’s regime. The group, commonly identified as an extremist organization, the HTS formed out of five separate Islamist oppositional forces in 2017 with the goal of creating a new rebellion opposed to Assad’s rule of Syria. Starting on November 27th, HTS ultimately forced Assad out of power through an eleven-day assault against Syrian government forces. HTS forces approached the capital of Damascus from the northern and southern borders on December 8th, prompting Assad to escape and flee to Russia.
Syrian Refugees
Free from the rule of Bashar al-Assad, Syria and its people face a crossroads. Over the course of thirteen years of war, approximately 14 million Syrians have fled their home country in search of safety and freedom, and approximately 7.2 million people are internally displaced within Syria. With these new circumstances, questions regarding whether Syrian refugees can safely return home arise, and if not, whether their host countries will allow the refugees to remain freely.
Thousands of Syrians who fled the war into neighboring countries, like Turkey and Lebanon, have already returned home following the news of Assad’s fall. They have hope for a peaceful future without the oppression experienced under the former administration. For the refugees who desire to return home, the borders are open to their arrival, but the verdict is still out for those who wish to remain in the countries they fled to. Many Syrians feel that their new countries have become home and do not wish to disrupt the peace they have built by returning to an uncertain future in their former nation. This may become an issue in many European nations, as they are anticipated to deem Syria as “safe” and begin to return refugees. Additionally, some countries have already stopped allowing asylum applications for Syrians. This leaves many refugees in limbo, with their fate in the hands of others. It may be likely that their only option moving forward is to pursue lawful citizenship in order to remain in their new countries.
Conclusion
Given the state of uncertainty in Syria, it may be argued that refugees should not be forced to return home immediately. Countries harboring Syrians should maintain their refugee status at least until the fate of Syria’s new administration is determined. They should also grant refugees the possibility of full citizenship if they do not wish to return to Syria, regardless of the latest changes. Ultimately, no refugee should be required to leave or be forcibly removed from their current country to return to one that they fled.
In the U.S., Secretary of State Antony Blinken has declared that “the Syrian people will decide the future of Syria.” The current U.S. administration will likely back Syria’s political transition and support the Syrian people’s decisions. While the U.S. will likely support the transition with hopes of a democratic awakening, Syria has not yet declared its policy regarding refugees currently residing within the United States. With a political transition set to occur within the coming months, the status of refugees is even more uncertain.
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