Karner says Syria trip: Terror threat forces to cancel!

Karner says Syria trip: Terror threat forces to cancel!

Austria's Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) broke off a planned trip to Syria, which was originally intended for Thursday morning. The demolition of this trip to the capital Damascus takes place on the basis of concrete warnings on a terrorist threat that came from both Austrian and German security authorities. This was announced today and means a setback for the discussions with Syrian government representatives that have been aimed for for a long time.

Karner and his German counterpart Nancy Faeser (SPD) were currently in Amman, Jordan, when the decision was made. The intended discussions should concentrate on security issues and the return of a possibly stabilized group of Syrian refugees. The Ministry of the Interior emphasized that the threat to delegations and security forces was not responsible.

background of the trip

The trip would have marked the first of an Austrian minister to Syria for 15 years. In Damascus, talks with high-ranking representatives of the United Nations, the UNHCR, UNICEF and a meeting with the Interior and Foreign Minister of the Syrian transitional government were planned. These conversations should take place under strict security precautions that had already been implemented in advance. Austria has suspended all of Syrians asylum applications after the Assad regime falls and is currently developing a return and deportation program.

The rejection of the trip represents a significant setback for the efforts to deport dangerous criminals and endangers with Syrian citizenship. Jordan, which has taken millions of Syrian refugees, plays a key role in the current asylum crisis in the Middle East. The country has the challenge associated with the influx of refugees, while at the same time the pressure on the infrastructure and the health and education system increases.

refugee situation in the Middle East

In the context of the current geopolitical situation, the humanitarian crisis in Iraq contributes to the complexity of the situation. According to reports, around 4.5 million Iraqis have fled since 2003 due to persistent persecution, violence and undersupply. Over 1.5 million Iraqi refugees currently live in Syria and around 750,000 in Jordan. These migration movements have led to the overload of the respective state systems as well as the economic and social stability of both countries.

Less than 5 % of Iraqi refugees reach Europe or the United States, which further increases the pressure on the neighboring countries. Supporting donor countries such as the USA and Great Britain for Jordan and Syria is considered inadequate, which further increases the risk of humanitarian disaster in Iraq.

The latest developments show how difficult it is to have talks about returning Syrian refugees in such a tense situation, while at the same time the security situation in the region remains fundamentally unstable. In the meantime, those responsible face the challenge of not only ensuring the safety of delegations, but also finding long -term solutions for the refugee crisis.

like oe24.at and Krone The planned trip an opportunity to address the current challenges diplomatically. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen when and in what form such conversations can be resumed, while the humanitarian situation in the region remains precarious. Further information on the background of the refugee crisis are put together in the Ssoar-Dokument