The European Union pledged more than €2 billion ($2.17 billion) today to support Syrian refugees in the region, firmly rejecting any discussion of their potential return to Syria, citing the lack of conditions for a voluntary and safe return.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, emphasized that financial commitments alone are insufficient. “Our commitment cannot end with financial pledges,” Borrell stated at the opening of a conference on Syria in Brussels.
He added, “Despite the recent lack of progress, we must redouble our efforts to find a political solution to the conflict, a solution that supports the aspirations of the Syrian people for a peaceful and democratic future.”
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, speaking ahead of the EU-led donor conference addressing the ongoing 13-year war in Syria, criticized the international community for abandoning Syrian refugees as funding for their support in host countries dwindles.
Diplomats have noted that the EU conference aims to keep the war and support for millions of refugees on the agenda. However, with the growing economic and social burden on neighboring countries, the bloc remains divided and unable to find comprehensive solutions.
“We will send a very clear message from Jordan as a host country that we feel the refugees… and the host countries have been abandoned,” Safadi told reporters upon arriving in Brussels.
Although Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has long since reasserted control over most of Syria’s territory during the war that began in 2011 following an uprising against him, the hope for more than five million refugees—mainly in Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan, as well as millions more internally displaced—remains slim for returning home.
Funding for refugee support is shrinking, with organizations like the World Food Programme cutting back their aid. Countries hosting refugees, particularly Lebanon, which is grappling with an economic crisis, argue that the burden is increasingly unsustainable.
Jordan hosts around 1.3 million Syrians. Safadi emphasized that the issue “can only be resolved by their return to their country. Therefore, more focus must be placed on creating suitable conditions for their voluntary return.”
Diplomats mentioned that European and Arab ministers, alongside major international organizations, will gather for the eighth conference on Syria. However, aside from vague promises and financial pledges, there is little indication that Europe can take the lead on this issue.
The talks come ahead of the European elections scheduled from June 6-9, where migration is a divisive topic among EU member states. With expectations that far-right and populist parties will perform well, the willingness to increase support for refugees is low.
The rise in migrant boats departing from Lebanon to Europe, with Cyprus and Italy as key destinations, has led some EU countries to warn of a new influx of migrants.
“We will continue to do everything we can. But unless we receive assistance, and unless the international community takes responsibility, services will decline, and the suffering of the refugees will increase,” Safadi concluded.
