UN migration chief 'not advising' large-scale returns to Syria now
International Organization for Migration chief Amy Pope said Tuesday the U.N. agency was not advising the large-scale return of people to Syria before the situation in the country has stabilized.
"People have the right to return home... but we are not advising any sort of large-scale return... the system can’t bear that kind of influx," Pope told AFP during a visit to Lebanon, adding that "absent an investment in Syria itself... sending people back will only destabilize the country further and will likely create pressures for people to migrate out again".
Pope said tens of thousands of people, including religious minorities, had fled Syria after Islamist-led rebels ousted Bashar al-Assad.
"Tens of thousands" of people have fled Syria and "we are hearing that especially religious minorities are leaving," Pope told AFP, noting reports that members of the Shiite Muslim community had fled "not because they’re actually threatened, but they’re concerned about the possible threat".
Source: Agence France Presse
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