The International Community Must Help Syrian Refugees’ Return

Destroyed Church in in Tell Nasri, Syria

The international community must change its attitude and focus on facilitating the return of Syrian refugees, otherwise the situation could lead to the destabilization of the Middle East and an unprecedented increase in migration pressure, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó warned in Beirut on Thursday.

Speaking at a conference on the impact of the civil war in Syria, the minister said that Hungary has a unique political stability in Europe, so government representatives can afford to speak openly and frankly about even the most controversial issues. “We are brave enough to say that migration is a bad and dangerous phenomenon, (…) that migration should not be encouraged but stopped,” he said. “Migration is a loss for countries of origin and a destabilizing factor and a danger for countries of transit and destination,” he added.

Szijjártó stressed that the international community should work to create conditions that would allow people to return home as soon as possible, rather than encouraging migration. Failure to do so, he said, could lead to further destabilization of regions, which would result in serious global security challenges. “I would like to express our deepest respect to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt for taking in people who have had to leave their homes,” he said, pointing out that

these countries are now at the limits of their capacity and that their burden must be eased. “Instead of lecturing, criticizing, lecturing or insinuating these countries, the West should show respect and gratitude by asking what can we do to help,” he said.

He underlined that Lebanon can continue to count on Hungary, as the government believes in tackling the root causes of migration rather than treating the symptoms. Outlining the Hungary Helps program, the minister stressed that the aim is to help people stay in their own country, and to bring help to where the problems are, rather than exporting them. He also reported that Hungary has renovated and is renovating 63 churches in Lebanon at a total cost of 3.8 million dollars, enabling Christian communities to practice their religion. He said the government had also carried out a number of projects in Syria, worth about $27 million.

In this context, Hungary has been involved in the reconstruction of hundreds of buildings, including schools, and has provided support for the running of hospitals, agricultural projects and the studies of thousands of university students, among other things.

“If the international community does not change its approach, more and more Syrians will leave their homes and fewer and fewer will return,” he said, stressing that this would pose a serious challenge to stability in the region. “For us in Central Europe, the stability of the Middle East is very important, we clearly do not need new security challenges today,” he concluded.

Featured Photo: Azbej Tistan Facebook