Sweden moves to increase deportations to Syria

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Sweden’s migration and foreign trade ministers recently visited Syria to discuss cooperation on deportations, the return of individuals convicted of crimes in Sweden, and reconstruction assistance, according to the Swedish government on Friday.

“Increasing returns from Sweden is a priority for our government. This includes individuals who have been convicted of offences in Sweden and will be expelled,” said Migration Minister Johan Forssell.

The trip, from Monday to Wednesday and paired with a visit to Lebanon, marked “the first ministerial visit” to Syria since 2011, Forssell said.

Stockholm plans to expand cooperation with Damascus on development aid, reconstruction, migration, and the return of Syrians without Swedish citizenship who have criminal convictions, Sweden’s publicly funded broadcaster, Sveriges Radio, reported on Thursday. Forssell told the broadcaster that Sweden has deported around 20 people to Syria since 2019 and now wants Damascus to accept more.

“We have now agreed to deepen our cooperation in order to implement more of these. As minister of immigration, I see it very positively and look forward to deepening it further,” Forssell added in a video message on Thursday.

Benjamin Dousa, minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, said it is “crucial” that Sweden is able to process deportations of people convicted of crimes, describing it as essential for justice and public confidence.

“What takes place in Syria is important to Sweden and the EU. We all have an interest in a peaceful and stable Syria,” he said.

According to data from the Swedish foreign ministry, Stockholm provided approximately $400 million in humanitarian assistance to Syria from the beginning of the civil war in 2011 until the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

At least one million Syrians have returned home over the past year, according to figures from the United Nations, which notes that the returnees face enormous challenges of damaged homes, lack of basic services, unemployment, and volatile security.