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| Home Secretary Theresa May |
Amnesty International has declared the
attempt to remove a Syrian national to Damascus from the UK, deeply alarming.
In a letter to the Home Secretary
Theresa May, Amnesty called on the UK government to desist from the forcible
return of Syrian nationals given the significant deterioration in the political
and human rights situation in recent months, and the continuing unpredictable
nature of events on the ground.
The planned removal was due to take
place on 21 October, but was prevented in the High Court, due in part to
Amnesty’s intervention in the case. Amnesty provided information about the
current human rights crisis in Syria and expressed grave concerns about
conditions in the country and fears for the safety of the individual if
returned.
As far as Amnesty is aware, no other EU
countries are currently returning Syrian asylum seekers to Syria.
Amnesty told the court that people who
oppose or are perceived to oppose the government are at risk of persecution or
serious harm by the authorities if returned to Syria. Amnesty has evidence that
such people are at real risk of arbitrary detention, torture and other
ill-treatment as well as unfair trials and that human rights and pro-democracy
activists are at particular risk.
Jan Shaw, Amnesty International UK
Refugee Program Director, said:
“Amnesty is deeply alarmed that the UK
Border Agency demonstrated its intention to forcibly remove a Syrian national
from the UK to Syria given the appalling human rights situation in the
country.
“The UK government has been
instrumental in pressing the UN to take action to address the serious abuses
being perpetrated in Syria and so it is astonishing that whilst actively
acknowledging the scale of such abuses, it would seek to return someone. At
best this might be a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing,
which is unacceptable.
“Had it not been for an eleventh hour
intervention, the UK government could have blood on its hands over this case.
It must now put an urgent ban on the forcible return of Syrian nationals.”
Amnesty believes a person who has
sought, or is suspected of having sought, asylum abroad may also be at real
risk of persecution or serious harm at this time. The act of leaving the
country to seek asylum is likely to be viewed as a manifestation of opposition
to the Syrian government. Syrians seeking political asylum abroad are likely to
be perceived to be sympathetic to opposition to the Syrian authorities. The UK Border Agency
recognizes, via its Operational Guidance Note, that those who oppose or are
perceived to oppose the government may be at risk on return to the country.
Jan Shaw said: “Countries across Europe and in the neighboring region have
implemented a halt on removals to Syria. It is high time the UK followed suit.”
