First group of Syrians have returned to the country with the aid of the Dutch government

The first group of Syrian people returned to their homeland with the aid of the Dutch government last week. Asylum minister Marjolein Faber has said that 20 people returned to their country of origin. They were aided by the Repatriation and Departure Service (DT&V). This service also has another 160 requests waiting to be handled. Of these requests 20 people are ready to leave next week.

The PVV minister said that getting people to return to their country has always been her goal. “After the fall of the Assad regime, this became possible. We are now seeing the first Syrian people leaving. These are still small numbers, but the expectation is for this to grow in the coming time. I am also working on that,”

DT&V helps organize a return if it is sustainable. The people involved are not allowed to return to the Netherlands. The service can also offer compensation to the people to help support them in their first days after returning. This is a fee of 900 euros in cash. A spokesperson for the ministry did not know whether the people involved used this option.

The returns to Syria became a possibility after the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad in the beginning of December. Although the safety situation in the country, where there has been civil war for years, is still unstable, Syrians have also returned to the country from other nations.