Efforts in Austria to reactivate the deportation of refugees to Syria

ARK News… Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner spoke of efforts to reactivate the deportation of refugees to Syria, and to declare Damascus and its surrounding areas “safe.”

Karner said in an interview with “OE 24” channel that he is working to ensure that deportations to Syria can be carried out again soon.

He added: "We are exerting pressure, in cooperation with Denmark, to activate deportations to Syria again, because the area surrounding Damascus seems safe."

Karner pointed out that there are currently no "forced" deportations to Syria and Afghanistan, and that return is only "voluntary", or by deporting people from these two countries to a third country.

The minister explained: “If there are connection points for refugees in other countries, for example if they have already gone to Bulgaria, they can be deported there.”

The number of Syrian refugees in Austria is about 58 thousand, and they constitute the largest number of refugees in Austria, who number 146 thousand, according to UNHCR statistics.

The frequency of calls has also recently increased in some European countries to declare “safe” areas in Syria, in order to deport Syrian refugees to them.

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