British Embassy in Damascus

Lord Wallace of Saltaire Excerpts

Tuesday 2nd December 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

That is a very important point. We were deeply concerned, as I know Members were across this House, about some of the events we saw last summer, particularly the targeting of the Alawite and Druze communities, as the noble Lord says. We are very clear with the Government in Syria about our commitment to freedom of religion or belief, and that we expect the new Government to be inclusive and representative and to take actions we would all expect them to take when we see breaches and when things occur that need to be responded to. The Government need to take a leading role in making sure that this sort of violence and victimisation is not allowed to persist in Syria.

[Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD)]

My Lords, the Minister mentioned the millions of Syrians who are refugees in other countries, and we know that a significant number of them have attempted to get to this country by one means or another. Given His Majesty’s Government’s current policy on immigrants, legal and irregular, does that not give them a real incentive to invest in making Syria not only a more stable country but one with greater respect for human rights—particularly rights for women—and social stability?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

I am very proud of the role this country played in hosting many Syrians at a time of desperate need during the Assad regime. Many Syrians came here, set up businesses and made lives for themselves. It is true that many wish to return now because they want to be part of the rebuilding of their country, and they are proud of what they hope will be its future. That is not the sole reason; there are many reasons why we want to play our part in supporting security, stability and prosperity for Syria, which is why we lifted sanctions very early on after the fall of Assad. But, as the noble Lord says, it is good if people who wish to return home are able to do so safely and in a way that enables them to rebuild their lives properly.