According to David Lammy, the removal of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria might result in a new migration crisis in Europe and an increase in illegal immigrants entering Britain.
The Foreign Secretary expressed his support for the ousting of Assad’s oppressive government in Syria, considering it as a positive development for the Syrian people.
However, Lammy also cautioned that this moment poses a significant risk for both Syria and the surrounding region, highlighting the country’s reputation as a breeding ground for extremism.
His warning came as the Home Office copied Germany and France by pausing decisions on asylum applications from Syrians amid the current turmoil.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged the victorious Syrian rebels who ousted Assad to reject violence after seizing control of capital Damascus.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front before a merger with various other groups, was previously an offshoot of Al-Qaeda.
Although it severed ties with Al-Qaeda a number of years ago, HTS remains on the UK’s list of proscribed terror groups.
Syrians gather at Umayyad Square in Damascus to celebrate the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime
A policeman from the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) so-called ‘Salvation Government’ stands guard in front of Syria’s Central Bank in Damascus
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged the victorious rebel group who ousted Assad to reject violence after seizing control
Speaking in Saudi Arabia during his visit to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Sir Keir said: ‘The situation is obviously very volatile in Syria.
‘It is very good that Assad is gone, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that what follows is settled by any means at all.
‘It is really important that we talk to our regional allies, our global allies about the way forward, which has to be a political way forward.
‘And that does mean… a rejection of terrorism, a rejection of violence, we have to be very clear about the terms.
‘It’s very early days but these are the discussions we are having with our allies.’
Millions of Syrians fled the country after the outbreak of civil war more than 13 years ago and the Assad regime’s brutal crackdown on opponents.
Thousands of Syrians have since been granted asylum in the UK, but Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said decisions on applications would be paused while events unfold.
She said tonight: ‘We know that the situation in Syria is moving extremely fast after the fall of the Assad regime.
‘We have seen some people returning to Syria, but we also have a very fast-moving situation that we need to closely monitor.
‘And that is why – like Germany, like France and like other countries – we have paused asylum decisions on cases from Syria while the Home Office reviews and monitors the current situation.’
A Home Office spokesman said it would keep ‘all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review so we can respond to emerging issues’.
In a statement to the House of Commons on the events of recent days, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said there had been an ‘extraordinary change’ in Syria over the past fortnight
In a statement to the House of Commons on the events of recent days, Mr Lammy said there had been an ‘extraordinary change’ in Syria over the past fortnight.
But he warned that Assad’s removal was ‘no guarantee of peace’ and could have far-reaching consequences.
The Foreign Secretary told MPs the current flow of refugees back into Syria from neighbouring areas ‘could quickly become a flow back out’.
He suggested this could see a repeat of the events of 2015, when Europe faced an influx of migrants, and even lead to an uptick in small boat crossings in the Channel.
Mr Lammy also signalled Britain would not yet be removing HTS from a list of banned terror groups and said the Government would judge the group ‘by their actions’.
The Foreign Secretary said: ‘Assad’s demise brings no guarantee of peace. This is a moment of danger, as well as opportunity, for Syrians and for the region.
‘The humanitarian situation in Syria is dire with almost 17 million people in need.
‘Millions of refugees – largely still in neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.
‘Seeing so many start to return to Syria is a positive sign for their hopes for a better future now that Assad is gone.
‘But a lot depends on what happens now. This flow into Syria could quickly become a flow back out and potentially increase the numbers using dangerous, illegal migration routes to continental Europe and the UK.’
HTS was added to the Home Office’s list of terror groups in 2017 due to it being an alternative name for Al-Qaeda.
But its leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani is said to have cut ties with Al-Qaeda years ago and has sought to present his group as a more moderate organisation.
Mr Lammy warned Syria had ‘proven a hotbed of extremism’ in recent times.
‘This House will know the group whose offensive first pushed back the regime, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS, are also a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK as an alias of Al-Qaeda,’ he added.
‘That should rightly make us cautious. Thus far HTS has offered reassurances to minorities in Aleppo, Hama and Damascus.
‘They have also committed to cooperating with the international community over monitoring chemical weapons.
‘We will judge HTS by their actions, monitoring closely how they and other parties to their conflict treat all civilians in areas they control.’
He later said: ‘I want to make it clear that the situation on the ground in Syria is very fluid. Our priority at this time is the safety of Syrian civilians.
‘But let me be absolutely clear: we don’t comment on issues of proscription for good reason.
‘We should recognise that Al-Qaeda killed hundreds of British citizens in barbaric attacks spanning decades and that was the original reason that this organisation HTS was proscribed.’
On his visit to Saudi Arabia, Sir Keir said no decision on unproscribing HTS was pending ‘at all’.
He told broadcasters: ‘No decision is pending at all on this, it is far too early.
‘At the moment the focus has to be on talking to our allies, making sure that this is an opportunity for Syria and therefore we have to work to make sure that this is a peaceful opportunity.’
Tory shadow home secretary Dame Priti Patel urged the Government to consider the ‘potential threat’ posed by HTS.
‘Security considerations should always be a number one consideration for us all,’ she said.
‘And we should not forget where this group originally came from. We need to be looking not just at their words, but at their actions.’
