Syrian refugees in UK need time to decide whether it's safe to return home

In the end, it was how quickly it happened which caught many of us by surprise. After 50 years of despotic rule and brutal retaliation during a 13-year-long uprising, the Assad dynasty in Syria was gone. Swept aside by a sudden surge which carried rebel forces from their stronghold in the northwest to capture the capital Damascus in just two weeks.

But while Syria has entered a new era, the world has yet to understand what its regime will look like or what this latest upheaval might mean for a wider region already in turmoil.

There may be a chance for the West to establish a positive relationship and encourage a new, democratic society to flourish. But it is too early to know who among the factions in this riven nation will emerge to lead it. Or what sort of state and society they envision.

People celebrate in Umayyad Square, Damascus, after the fall of the Assad regime (Picture: Louai Beshara) | AFP via Getty Images

Chemical weapons

There can be no doubt that this is a momentous time for millions of Syrians. It's strange to think that Bashar al-Assad was once seen by some in the West as a source of hope for a more democratic, enlightened Syria.

A one-time London-based ophthalmologist married to a British citizen, he seemed like a potential friend when his brother’s death in a car crash meant Bashar succeeded their father as ruler.

Instead, he turned out to be a man who used chemical weapons against his own people, whose years in power cost more lives than his father's, and who has fled a country torn apart and facing an uncertain future.

We must now strive to ensure that he faces justice for his crimes. But our efforts must also go towards securing an orderly transition of power and protecting minorities and the rights of all Syrians.

West must help

With President-elect Donald Trump declaring the US will have nothing to do with Syria’s future, the rest of the international community must do what it can to ensure this is a genuine turning point for that country.

While we must be careful not to leap in, neither can we afford to do nothing and allow Syria to descend further into instability and civil war between its many factions.

There are Kurdish-led rebels in the northeast, Turkish-backed rebels in the north, various unidentified groups, and the coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), now controlling the capital and the interim government. The latter group is also currently proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK and others.

The Prime Minister should take both time and care over our next move. We must see evidence of the interim government’s intentions and whether they will adhere to international conventions, the rule of law and encourage democratic development.

Asylum applications paused

But we must allow it time to do so. The voices of all Syrians must be heard in building its future.

As an immediate measure, the UK Government has, like a number of others, paused asylum applications. My party, the Liberal Democrats, agrees as some refugees may want, or be able to, return home now that Assad is gone. However, they may not and deserve time to watch the situation unfold and decide whether it is safe.

It is their country and their future. We must help them create the best one they can.

Christine Jardine is the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West