Live updates: Follow the latest on Syria
Europe was warned on Tuesday not to rush into sending refugees back to Syria, as it weighs up its options for arranging returns after the fall of Bashar Al Assad's regime.
Countries have begun to wind down decade-long offers of refuge to Syrians escaping their country's civil war, as several EU states announced new asylum claims would be put on pause. They will now consider their options for the next stage: sending Syrians home.
In Germany, home to the biggest Syrian diaspora in Europe, it is expected some of the country's 974,000 Syrian citizens will want to return home of their own accord. But others could be pushed towards the exit by having their refugee status stripped if officials believe there are lasting improvements in Damascus.
Austria's Interior Minister Gerhard Karner has asked officials to "prepare a plan for orderly repatriations and deportations" beginning next year. There is interest in Europe in working with Jordan and Turkey, the non-EU countries housing the most Syrians in exile, to arrange returns.
The EU on Tuesday called for caution, saying any moves to return Syrians should "always require individual assessments". EU states should "not forget the situation is very much changing in the field", said Stefan de Keersmaecker, spokesman for the European Commission spokesman, the executive arm of the EU.
Voluntary returns
Governments were told to help rebuild Syria if they want to people be returned. "It's still early to determine whether Syria is really safe, whether the infrastructure and the devastated economy in this country is ready to receive large numbers of people returning," said Ranim Ahmed of The Syria Campaign lobby group.
"There needs to be more effort, especially by the UN, who already exist in Syria," she told The National. "We didn't see any response from them so far, which is typical because we've seen how they failed Syrians during the [2023] earthquake, during all the catastrophes that happened during the past years."
A German conservative party leading polls before a February election suggested giving Syrians €1,000 ($1,060) to return home voluntarily on charter flights. Jens Spahn, deputy leader of the Christian Democratic Union called for a four-way "reconstruction and return" conference involving Jordan and Turkey in the spring.
Sweden upped its offer to 350,000 krona ($32,000) for "voluntary repatriation" before the fall of the Assad regime. Jimmie Akesson, leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats, said some people in the country appeared "happy about this development ... you should see it as a good opportunity to go home".
One German diplomat warned that things could "go the other way", with Syria's Christian or Alawite minorities deciding to leave the country. A spring survey by the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) of Syrians living in Middle East countries found 57 per cent "hoped in principle" to return home one day but few expected to do so within the next year. The agency said "some are eager, while others are hesitant" following Mr Al Assad's downfall.
Council of Europe human rights commissioner Michael O'Flaherty reminded states they have legal duties not to expose people to risks of torture or degrading treatment if they are sent back to Syria. He said governments should also "consider how return might affect family and private life, especially for Syrians who have resided in host countries for extended periods".
Syrians in Europe celebrate fall of Al Assad - in pictures
Many who arrived in Europe as refugees have since put down roots and taken a fast track to citizenship after excelling in language and integration classes. Of 200,000 people who took German nationality last year, more than 75,000 were Syrians, making them fully fledged citizens virtually bulletproof from any attempt to remove them. Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said many Syrians had "been in this country for many years indeed ... their lives are here, their children were born here".
"Everyone should have the freedom to make this decision," Ms Ahmed said. "If refugees decide to go back, they deserve the right to return to their country ... for the rest who don't want to go back, I think it's their right as well."
Forced deportations
Europe was looking at ways to deport people to Syria even before the Assad regime fell, as it responds to populist anger over immigration and extremism. Denmark had declared some parts of Syria as safe, as had a German judge in denying an asylum claim.
But a lack of diplomatic relations with Syria was a blockage to following through on deportations, even for people rejected by asylum courts who lacked legal status in Europe. Italy appointed a new ambassador in Damascus in July with a view to a "more realistic" stance on Syria.
Germany turned to unnamed "regional partners", widely believed to include Qatar, to arrange a first deportation to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan in August despite a lack of formal representation, hinting it could do the same for Syria.
It will be one factor for European states to consider as they shape their stance on Syria's Hayat Tahrir Al Sham militants, amid suggestions of dropping terrorist designations for the once Al Qaeda-affiliated group. "The fact that HTS is a proscribed terrorist group does not prevent the Government from engaging with HTS in the future," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesman said on Tuesday.
A deportation offensive would likely focus on convicted criminals or people with little to no legal recognition. But even people already granted asylum in Europe could in theory have their status removed. This would require changes "of a significant nature", said Mr de Keersmaecker, the EU commission spokesman.
In Germany "that is only the case when the state of persecution has permanently changed and no longer exists, so that people returning no longer face any dangers," said Hans Vorlaender, a political scientist the head of an expert council on integration.
"If the situation in Syria does stabilise itself and people can live safely there, that will also influence the number of asylum applications and returns, because many will want to return to their home country. But it remains to be seen how the situation will develop."
Officials in Germany said a report on which asylum decisions are based will be updated "once the dust has settled" in Damascus. Austria, Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway announced similar moves to press pause on asylum.
"The European countries who wanted before to consider Syria as safe should now look at this new reality for Syria and wait until we know what's going to happen next in terms of the governance of Syria, and whether there will be a real political transition happening soon," Ms Ahmed said.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Read more from Johann Chacko
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Cashew%0D%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202020%0D%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Ibtissam%20Ouassif%20and%20Ammar%20Afif%0D%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%0D%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%2410m%0D%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Mashreq%2C%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
((Disclaimer))
The Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG (“Bank”) assumes no liability or guarantee for the accuracy, balance, or completeness of the information in this publication. The content may change at any time due to given circumstances, and the Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG is under no obligation to update information once it has been published. This publication is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, a recommendation or an invitation by, or on behalf of, Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch), Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, or any of its group affiliates to make any investments or obtain services. This publication has not been reviewed, disapproved or approved by the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) Central Bank, Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”) or any other relevant licensing authorities in the UAE. It may not be relied upon by or distributed to retail clients. Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch) is regulated by the DFSA and this advertorial is intended for Professional Clients (as defined by the DFSA) who have sufficient financial experience and understanding of financial markets, products or transactions and any associated risks.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Day 2, stumps
Pakistan 482
Australia 30/0 (13 ov)
Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
On racial profiling at airports
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.4-litre%20four-cylinder%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Starting%20from%20Dh89%2C900%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
Power drink: A glass of yoghurt
Role model: Any good man
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
