Assad Wins Warm Welcome at Arab Summit After Years of Isolation

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman meets with Syria's President Bashar Al Assad in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA — For millions of Syrian refugees scattered around the world, the re-admission of the Syrian regime to the Arab family of nations on Sunday may have looked like victory for a dictator who was the very cause of their displacement and misery.

After an 11-year suspension, the Arab League welcomed Syria back into the bloc, giving President Bashar al-Assad a political lifeline despite strong objection from some of its key Western allies.

Advocates of Syria’s re-admission to the Arab League argued that it is part of an attempt to find an “Arab solution” to the Syrian crisis after all other efforts had apparently failed. A statement issued by the bloc on Sunday said the move “addresses the humanitarian, security and political crises in Syria, the crisis’ repercussions on neighboring countries, especially the burden of refugees, terrorism and drug smuggling.”

But some are skeptical of the bloc’s ability to find a humane and just solution to the refugee crisis, warning that a rapprochement with the Syrian regime could prompt hosting nations to force the return of Syrian refugees despite potential threats to their lives.

Syrians fled to more than 130 countries, the UN says, predominantly neighboring Turkey, which shelters more than 3.6 million. Others traveled to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt. Many fled to European countries, including Germany and Denmark.

According to a 2022 UNHCR poll of Syrian refugees living in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, only 1.7% said they would return to Syria in the next 12 months. Around 93% said they would not return, and 5.6% said they did not know.

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