The Assad regime’s collapse in Syria has raised concerns about fresh instability that may cause a new migrant crisis, especially for Europe, following the 2015 mass movement of mostly fighting-age men who traversed the continent in their millions.
Over the weekend, Bashar al-Assad left Syria, seeking refuge in Russia, after suspected Western-backed rebel groups, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), captured Damascus, ending a 50-year dynasty. Assad had repelled Western deposition attempts since 2011, for almost 14 years, with Russia’s support.
European leaders cheered on Assad’s collapse, in effect lauding a potential new wave of so-called refugees. French President Emmanuel Macron remarked on the end of what he termed a “barbaric state,” while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized solidarity with anti-Assad Syrians. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer even signaled his nation may remove HTS from its terror list.
Jordan Bardella of France’s National Rally, however, cautioned about Islamist power shifts leading to significant migration flows to Europe, drawing parallels with Libya post-2011.
Germany, having absorbed a whopping number of Syrian refugees following Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open border policy, hosts at least a million Syrians.
According to the BBC, Syrians in Berlin have expressed mixed intentions about returning home, with some claiming they will simply stay in Germany. Alice Weidel of the Alternative for Germany party argued that advocates for a liberated Syria should return home.
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