Once again, the European Union has provided further evidence of the major powers' decision to continue using the Syrian refugee file as leverage against Damascus, hindering their return to their homeland.
Despite the ongoing political paralysis in Lebanon, there has been an expanding consensus regarding direct cooperation with the Syrian government to facilitate the return of many displaced individuals to their cities and towns, significantly as the security factor has diminished.
However, the obstructive forces, which have politically exhausted means of exploiting the refugees, are becoming less influential. Those currently exploiting the displaced are individuals with working relationships and financial ties to Western actors active in this file.
During the Brussels meeting on Thursday, European parties persisted with their hostile policies towards Damascus.
The EU's High Representative, Josep Borrell, led a campaign of incitement against the Syrian government, objecting to the Arab reconciliation track and Syria's return to the Arab League.
Meanwhile, the European Union has been complaining under the pressure of asylum and security for the past decade due to the armed chaos in Syria and North Africa.
Furthermore, the speech of the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, Geir O. Pedersen, was filled with "populist" slogans, relying on groups of Syrian activists who receive support from Western powers.
However, while the aid commitments may resemble those of the previous year, it does not mean that the allocated funds, which remain far below the actual need, are guaranteed to reach the Syrians at a time when the West is focused on the Ukrainian crisis before the Sudan crisis becomes an additional destination for funding and a source of further concern among EU member states.
The statement of the Lebanese Caretaker Foreign Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, was heard well in Brussels.
It was based on the working paper presented by the Caretaker Minister of Displaced Persons, Issam Sharaf Al-Din, and adopted by the Lebanese government.
Diplomatic sources said the Lebanese position "did not leave any satisfaction for the European delegations, which oppose any coordination between Lebanon and Syria to solve the refugee crisis. Instead, they prefer to keep the issue controversial and keep the displaced people in Lebanon confined in tents between the closed borders with Syria and the sea guarded by the Lebanese army and security agencies responsible for coastal surveillance in Europe."
The same sources added that the results of Brussels would not change anything in the Lebanese reality. "Rather, Lebanon, after this new stage, should increasingly adhere to dialogue with the Syrian government."
However, Bou Habib called for "increasing support for government institutions and the host community, which has borne a cost exceeding 5 billion dollars by 2023."
He then hoped that "the Syrian displacement crisis does not turn into a similar issue to that of the Palestinian refugees, who have been waiting for solutions for 75 years."
In this context, the forthcoming official visit of Sharaf Al-Din to Damascus in the coming days is highlighted. It aims to prepare for the visit of the expanded ministerial committee tasked by the Council of Ministers with implementing a plan to return approximately 180,000 displaced Syrians to various Syrian areas.
The Council of Ministers approved the plan of the Minister of Displaced Persons before signing a memorandum of understanding with the Syrian Minister of Local Administration and Environment, Hussein Makhlouf, and the Minister of Interior, Major General Mohammad Rahmun.
According to some sources, the Syrian side agreed to the return of the first batch of 180,000 displaced persons, followed by batches of 15,000 displaced persons each month to cities and towns where the necessary infrastructure for healthcare, education, sanitation, and transportation has improved, with 480 shelter centers provided to secure the plan.
However, the Lebanese government has turned into a caretaker government, which has hindered the follow-up on the agreement. It is expected that during Sharaf Al-Din's visit, some modifications will be made to the deal in preparation for the agreement during the visit of the ministerial committee.
While diplomatic sources doubt the possibility of the success of the Lebanese-Syrian action plan without European and international financial support, they point to the need for Western flexibility towards the Syrian government, with the difficulty of compensating for the Arab role in international aid.
Moreover, Lebanese ministerial sources explained that the Syrian side shows great responsiveness to Lebanese proposals, secures transportation means from all Lebanese territories to inside Syria and implements a general amnesty for returnees, except for those "whose hands are stained with blood."
Informed sources confirmed that the Syrian side is ready to facilitate whatever Lebanon wants and what serves the interests of both countries without implying consent to some requests that are repeatedly voiced by Westerners and international organizations, such as the necessity of issuing a decision exempting returnees from mandatory service.
Damascus considers that Western countries cannot ask it to do what they do in their own countries by imposing mandatory service on their citizens while planning to develop and strengthen the Syrian army without reducing its size.
On another note, the Syrian government has committed to implementing presidential decrees that include amnesty for many crimes and the cessation of pursuits against the accused.
In addition, facilitations have been provided regarding the issue of mandatory service and its immediate application on those returning from displaced areas outside the country.
Furthermore, the Syrian Minister of Finance announced in an interview with the Saudi channel "Al-Sharq" that "there are absolute amnesty decrees for all displaced individuals returning to Syria."
The Syrian government gradually reduced the conditions and legal requirements imposed on displaced persons who wish to return.
Regarding young men who have not performed mandatory service in the army, it was decided not to enlist them immediately, as stipulated by the law. Instead, they were allowed a period of up to six months to settle their legal status by paying a fine instead of service or joining the service at a later date.
Similarly, returning displaced persons were not required to report to security agencies if there were search or arrest warrants against them for legal violations, such as incitement against the state or participation in protests. Many matters were overlooked based on the principle of achieving reconciliation.
The ban on the entry of returning displaced persons into their different areas under the control of the Syrian state has also been lifted. There are no longer closed military zones where entry is prohibited, as in Eastern Ghouta. Today, a displaced person can access any location in Syrian territories under government control.