Opposition official voices alarm over deportation of Syrian refugees
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian National Coalition (SNC), affiliated with the Syrian opposition, considered on Sunday that the forced return of Syrian refugees to Syria is a blatant violation of international law, amidst calls by some countries to declare Syria a safe zone.
SNC official Ahmad Bakoura voiced concern about the efforts made by some European countries, including Austria and Denmark, to declare areas in Syria as safe zones with the aim of deporting Syrian refugees.
The Coalition official did not touched upon the large-scale deportation campaigns carried out by the Turkish government against Syrian refugees, which occur almost on a daily basis.
Bakoura pointed to the United Nations and Germany’s classification of all areas in Syria as unsafe, emphasizing that the forced return of Syrian refugees violates the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the status of refugees and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Bakoura further added that the current return of refugees exposes them to serious risks such as arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture.