Recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the EEAS on the situation in Syria

Wording as published by the EP, in English.

1. Amendment 4Rejected

   Paragraph 1 – point r

   Tabled by Thierry Mariani, JeanLin Lacapelle · ID

   (r) recall that Removed: Syria cannot be regarded, in whole or in part, as a safe country for the return of Syrian nationals living as refugees and asylum seekers in Europe and around the world, people who have fled the crimes of the regime and risk torture and enforced disappearance if they return to Syria; reiterate to host countries, such as Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, that Syria is not a safe country, neither in whole nor in part, and that Syrian nationals can therefore not return safely; stress that each and every return must be voluntary and be under dignified conditions; stress that some Syrians have fled terror organisations operating in Syria such as ISIS; stress that there are areas in Syria where violent jihadist groups and militias are still active; highlight the impact of the Syrian conflict on the 438 000 Palestinian refugees estimated to be in the country and who depend primarily on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for their basic needs; express concern regarding the Agency’s financial situation and call for Palestinian refugees to be better included in the EU’s humanitarian plans in Syria; Added: most regions in Syria can be regarded as safe and that many Syrian refugees present in the EU and in countries neighbouring Syria, such as Lebanon, should now return to their country of origin;

2. Amendment 15Rejected

   Recital B a (new)

   Tabled by Anna Fotyga, Charlie Weimers · ECR

   Added: B a. whereas irresponsible and unlawful pressure to open borders under Merkel’s policy of ‘Wir schaffen das!’ (‘We can do this’) has weakened Europe’s security and encouraged the further weaponisation of migration; whereas the EU should continue its policy of helping refugees in the region, by further supporting neighbouring countries; whereas wealthy Arab countries in the region should provide robust support;

3. Amendment 17Adopted

   Recital N a (new)

   Tabled by Anna Fotyga, Charlie Weimers · ECR

   Added: Na. whereas the Syrian regime, through ethnic cleansing, conducted a brutal campaign to change the country’s demographic makeup; whereas Christians in Syria made up about 10 % of the pre-war Syrian population, totalling 2.2 Million people; whereas the brutality of the war caused a mass exodus of Christians, so that now only about 640 000 remain; whereas in addition to the Syrian regime, Christians in the country have been persecuted by ISIS and other Islamist militias; whereas the Assad regime has attempted to project an image as a secular protector of Christians in Syria, but the regime has reportedly intentionally destroyed churches and detained at least hundreds of Christian citizens; whereas the regime, with the active support of the Russian Federation, besieged and completely decimated Aleppo, the city with the largest Christian population in the country; whereas the country was ranked as the 12th most difficult place in the world to be Christian;

4. Amendment 17Adopted

   Recital N a (new)

   Tabled by Anna Fotyga, Charlie Weimers · ECR

   Added: Na. whereas the Syrian regime, through ethnic cleansing, conducted a brutal campaign to change the country’s demographic makeup; whereas Christians in Syria made up about 10 % of the pre-war Syrian population, totalling 2.2 Million people; whereas the brutality of the war caused a mass exodus of Christians, so that now only about 640 000 remain; whereas in addition to the Syrian regime, Christians in the country have been persecuted by ISIS and other Islamist militias; whereas the Assad regime has attempted to project an image as a secular protector of Christians in Syria, but the regime has reportedly intentionally destroyed churches and detained at least hundreds of Christian citizens; whereas the regime, with the active support of the Russian Federation, besieged and completely decimated Aleppo, the city with the largest Christian population in the country; whereas the country was ranked as the 12th most difficult place in the world to be Christian;

5. Amendment 17Adopted

   Recital N a (new)

   Tabled by Anna Fotyga, Charlie Weimers · ECR

   Added: Na. whereas the Syrian regime, through ethnic cleansing, conducted a brutal campaign to change the country’s demographic makeup; whereas Christians in Syria made up about 10 % of the pre-war Syrian population, totalling 2.2 Million people; whereas the brutality of the war caused a mass exodus of Christians, so that now only about 640 000 remain; whereas in addition to the Syrian regime, Christians in the country have been persecuted by ISIS and other Islamist militias; whereas the Assad regime has attempted to project an image as a secular protector of Christians in Syria, but the regime has reportedly intentionally destroyed churches and detained at least hundreds of Christian citizens; whereas the regime, with the active support of the Russian Federation, besieged and completely decimated Aleppo, the city with the largest Christian population in the country; whereas the country was ranked as the 12th most difficult place in the world to be Christian;

6. Amendment 19Rejected

   Paragraph 1 – point g

   Tabled by Anna Fotyga · ECR

   (g) deplore the continued presence on Syrian territory of hundreds of Removed: Iranian, Turkish Added: Iranian and Russian bases and Iranian and Russian militias; express concern about the economic exploitation of the country by predatory foreign powers; Removed: condemn the attacks Added: take note of the military operation by Turkish forces Removed: and their occupation of Added: against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party in Syrian territories in the Removed: north as well as Added: north; note that Türkiye is the NATO ally most affected by the conflict in Syria, has suffered the most terrorist attacks, hosts millions of refugees and shares borders with Iran, Iraq and Syria, one of the most insecure countries in the EU’s neighbourhood; condemn the renewed brutal military campaign by the Syrian government and Russia in … to continue its fight against ISIS in Syria until its complete elimination; Removed: recall that Turkish unilateral military actions constitute a grave violation of Added: recognise that Turkish operations to combat threats from across its border and the Turkish military presence in the Syrian territories should not only take account of Türkiye’s security concerns, but should also be aligned with international law and Removed: have undermined Added: UN resolutions; note that the operations seek to strengthen the stability and security of the region as a whole; dismantle the …

7. Amendment 20Rejected

   Paragraph 1 – point i

   Tabled by Anna Fotyga, Charlie Weimers · ECR

   (i) Removed: urge Added: note that it is up to the Member States to Removed: continue repatriating Added: decide whether to repatriate their nationals from the Al-Hol and Roj jihadist prison camps and to Removed: try them, Added: support their trials abroad, in fair trials, for any crimes they have committed; express serious concern … Al-Hol and Roj camps, which continue to be breeding grounds for radicalisation; Removed: call Added: reject pressure on the Member States to repatriate Removed: all European children, offering them adequate support and reintegration; call on the Member States to promote in all bilateral relations and international bodies the repatriation of all children of nationals of third countries, in full respect of international law; Added: European citizens who are stuck in jihadist prison camps in Syria, especially considering that they wilfully travelled to Syria to join ISIS; acknowledge that they should be held accountable for their actions, including their support for and participation in terror organisations;

8. Amendment 23Rejected

   Paragraph 1 – point r

   Tabled by Anna Fotyga, Charlie Weimers · ECR

   (r) recall that Removed: Syria cannot be regarded, in whole or in part, as a safe country Added: parts of Syria can be regarded as safe for the return of Syrian nationals living as refugees and asylum seekers in Europe and around the Removed: world, Added: world; note that some people who have fled the crimes of the regime Removed: and risk torture and enforced disappearance if they return to Removed: Syria; reiterate to host countries, such as Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, that Syria is not a safe country, neither in whole nor in part, and that Syrian nationals can therefore not return safely; stress that each and every return must be voluntary and be under dignified conditions; Added: regime-controlled areas in Syria; stress that some Syrians have fled terror organisations operating in Syria such … for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for their basic needs; Removed: express concern regarding the Agency’s financial situation and call for Palestinian refugees to be better included in the EU’s humanitarian plans in Syria;