Polish deputy interior minister Maciej Duszczyk says he is analyzing various migration scenarios since Syria’s rebel forces toppled the al Assad regime.
Syrian rebels announced on Sunday morning that they had captured the capital Damascus and overthrown Bashar al-Assad, bringing an end to more than 53 years of his family's authoritarian rule over Syria.
“As the future Presidency of the EU Council, we are analysing various migration scenarios following the political changes in Syria taking place before our eyes,” Duszczyk wrote on platform X.
“Ensuring security is key,” he added.
The Polish Presidency of the EU Council will start on January 1, 2025.
According to an expert from the Academy of War Studies, Dr. Witold Repetowicz, the events in Syria may cause an influx of refugees to Europe. In his opinion, if there is no internal fighting in Syria, a group of refugees currently in Lebanon or partially in Turkey may want to return to the country.
"However, if there is another civil war, we will have an exodus of Christians and perhaps Kurds, and a stream of refugees may also flow to our part of Europe, especially if the situation is exploited by Russia, which can create an artificial migration stream across the Belarusian border, just like when the Taliban took over Afghanistan," he said in an interview with the state Polish press agency.
Islamist rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) organization and their allies launched a campaign against the regime's forces on November 27. On Sunday, the Syrian army command said Assad's authoritarian rule had ended after the rebels' successful lightning offensive, which also saw them take the Syrian capital on the night from Saturday to Sunday with virtually no resistance from government forces.
Assad, who has crushed all signs of dissent and imprisoned thousands of people, has fled Damascus with his family. As Reuters reported on Sunday evening, based on reports from Russian media, Assad is in Russia, where he has been granted political asylum.
“As the future Presidency of the EU Council, we are analysing various migration scenarios following the political changes in Syria taking place before our eyes,” Duszczyk wrote on platform X.
“Ensuring security is key,” he added.
The Polish Presidency of the EU Council will start on January 1, 2025.
According to an expert from the Academy of War Studies, Dr. Witold Repetowicz, the events in Syria may cause an influx of refugees to Europe. In his opinion, if there is no internal fighting in Syria, a group of refugees currently in Lebanon or partially in Turkey may want to return to the country.
"However, if there is another civil war, we will have an exodus of Christians and perhaps Kurds, and a stream of refugees may also flow to our part of Europe, especially if the situation is exploited by Russia, which can create an artificial migration stream across the Belarusian border, just like when the Taliban took over Afghanistan," he said in an interview with the state Polish press agency.
Islamist rebels from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) organization and their allies launched a campaign against the regime's forces on November 27. On Sunday, the Syrian army command said Assad's authoritarian rule had ended after the rebels' successful lightning offensive, which also saw them take the Syrian capital on the night from Saturday to Sunday with virtually no resistance from government forces.
Assad, who has crushed all signs of dissent and imprisoned thousands of people, has fled Damascus with his family. As Reuters reported on Sunday evening, based on reports from Russian media, Assad is in Russia, where he has been granted political asylum.
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