Damascus: Syria’s government is to set up a coordination committee to repatriate millions of its nationals who fled the country’s seven-year conflict, state media has said.
The cabinet on Sunday “agreed to create a coordination body for the return of those displaced abroad to their cities and villages,” state news agency SANA reported.
The conflict has displaced more than five million Syrians outside the country, the United Nations says, with more than half displaced to Turkey and most of the rest split between Lebanon and Jordan
The committee “will take the necessary measures to settle the status of all those who were displaced and secure their return as security and basic services return to different regions”, SANA said on Sunday.
It would take steps towards “ensuring they can lead normal lives and practice their jobs as before the war” started in 2011, it added.
The coordination body is to “intensify contact with friendly countries to provide all facilitations and take suitable steps towards their return”, SANA said.
President Bashar Al Assad’s regime has pushed back rebels in large parts of Syria since its ally Russia intervened militarily on its side in 2015.
Last month, Russia presented the United States with plans for the coordinated return of refugees to Syria.
The proposal includes the establishment of working groups in both Lebanon and Jordan, involving US and Russian officials.
Also in July, Russia’s chief Syria negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev visited Damascus, Amman and Beirut.
According to the Syrian presidency, Al Assad told Lavrentyev that “Syria is bent on all its children returning”.
In comments to the Russian media, Al Assad appealed for Syrian refugees - especially those who had their own businesses in the country - to return.
Countries hosting Syrians, including Turkey and Lebanon, have stressed the need for the return of refugees to Syria, while human rights groups have warned that this should be done on a voluntary basis.
They have voiced concern over their safety as many could be imprisoned or recruited into the military.
Arrests made over collusion
Syrian rebel forces arrested at least 45 people over suspected collusion with the Al Assad’s regime.
The National Liberation Front carried out the wave of arrests in Hama and Idlib provinces, the latter of which the last governorate in the country to fall almost entirely outside the regime’s control.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said “nearly 50” people had been arrested in areas straddling Hama and Idlib over “attempts to reconcile with regime forces” and to take part in “meetings with its intelligence services”.
After a string of victories in country’s south, Al Assad said on July 26 that Idlib was the government’s next priority.
