EU Preparing to Appoint Envoy to Syria to Address Migration Crisis

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)
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EU Preparing to Appoint Envoy to Syria to Address Migration Crisis

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni hold a joint press conference in Beirut. (Reuters)

The European Union is preparing to appoint a special envoy to Syria, with officials from the Commission and the External Relations Department emphasizing that this move is not intended to “normalize relations with the regime” but rather to address the escalating migration crisis, which is expected to become increasingly complex after recent developments in Lebanon.

Lebanon has seen nearly a quarter of its population displaced, with many of their homes destroyed in border villages and parts of Beirut due to Israeli attacks.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in coordination with her Austrian counterpart, has been active in recent months, pushing the EU toward normalizing relations with Syria to facilitate the return of refugees.

However, some member states, led by France, have strongly opposed this approach, ultimately agreeing—after extensive negotiations within the European Council—to appoint a special envoy whose mandate is limited to addressing the refugee crisis.

The issue of refugees and displaced persons was central to Meloni’s recent discussions during her regional visit, with Beirut as her final stop. There, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged her to intervene to help resolve the crisis, which poses significant challenges as winter approaches.

In July, Italy, currently holding the G7 presidency, decided to appoint an envoy to Damascus to “shed light” on Syria, as Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani put it.

Italy had withdrawn all its diplomatic staff from Damascus in 2012 and suspended its diplomatic activities in Syria in protest against the “unacceptable violence” by Bashar al-Assad’s regime against its citizens, who were holding peaceful rallies against his rule.

Earlier this summer, Italy and seven other EU countries sent a letter to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, urging a more active European role in Syria to help return a number of Syrian refugees from EU countries, particularly Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia.

The signatories called for an end to the EU’s “three no’s” policy: no lifting of sanctions, no normalization, and no reconstruction under the current regime, emphasizing that peace in Syria is impossible as long as the current government remains in power.

Reports from the EU Migration Department indicate that Syrians continue to leave their country in significant numbers due to worsening economic conditions. Many Syrian refugees in Lebanon are also joining irregular migration routes to Europe, as living conditions have deteriorated in Lebanon in recent years. Italy, Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, and Slovakia signed the letter.

Most of these countries have recently reopened their embassies in Damascus, with Italy the only G7 nation, to resume diplomatic activities in the Syrian capital.

Italian sources have expressed concerns that Israel’s war on Lebanon could spill over into Syria or expand regionally, potentially triggering another large-scale migration crisis that the EU may not be prepared to handle under current conditions.

However, the new European policy, spearheaded by Italy amid the ongoing regional shifts, aims for a broader objective: enhancing the EU’s presence in Syria to compete with Russia, contain the Iranian regime, which has recently faced significant setbacks, and counter Türkiye's expanding influence.

Syria has been under sanctions from the United States, the EU, and several other countries since 2011.



Khiam: The Center of Arab-Israeli Conflict Faces ‘Fourth Wave of Destruction’

Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)
Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)
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Khiam: The Center of Arab-Israeli Conflict Faces ‘Fourth Wave of Destruction’

Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)
Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)

Residents of Khiam in southern Lebanon, hit by 12 airstrikes on Wednesday morning, see the attacks as yet another wave of destruction for a town scarred by conflict.
“Khiam has been devastated repeatedly, enduring pain with each blow over decades,” residents say. The town has already been destroyed three times since 1948 and faces new fears amid an intense military campaign and assault attempts.
Khiam, the largest town in the Marjayoun district, houses 35,000 people and over 5,000 homes.
Since 2006, it has expanded significantly, becoming a tourist spot with guesthouses known as “chalets.”
Since Oct. 2023, parts of these buildings, mainly on Khiam’s southern and eastern edges near Israel’s Metula settlement, have been damaged.
A Historic Staging Point Against Israel
Perched on high ground overlooking the Galilee, Khiam is open from the east, west, and south, providing a strategic link to the Golan Heights, Jordan, and northern Israel.
The town is known as the “last major Shia community” near Lebanon’s southern border, neighboring Christian, Druze, and Sunni areas.
This position made Khiam a focal point for Arab fighters against Israel since the 1940s and a regular flashpoint.
Historian Dr. Munzer Jaber says Khiam and other border villages have long faced displacement and Israeli bombardment.
In the 1940s, Khiam became a base for the Arab Salvation Army, which gathered volunteers from southern Lebanon and Syria, including units from Majdal Shams and Deir ez-Zor, led by Abdul Salam al-Ajili.
Since then, Khiam has seen frequent clashes with Israel due to its proximity to Metula, which Israel considers a strategic stronghold, Jaber noted to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Adding to the tensions, overlapping property claims among Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians, and Jewish residents often lead to disputes.
The repeated destruction and conflict in Khiam have driven waves of migration to Beirut, especially after Palestine fell, cutting off jobs for southern Lebanese. Key markets in Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil, and Khiam shut down, leaving the local economy in decline.
Khiam lost its political and economic role until 1965, when the first Palestinian guerrilla operation against Israel shifted its focus to militant activity. Palestinian and leftist groups gained influence, sparking local divisions and causing many residents to leave as Palestinian forces moved in.
Jaber told Asharq Al-Awsat that this conflict created a strong pro-guerrilla movement among Khiam’s youth, leading to clashes with local leaders.
The growing Palestinian presence gave Israel a reason for airstrikes and security raids, which intensified in late 1973, pushing more residents to flee.
The Khiam Massacre
Israel intensified its military operations in Khiam over the years. In September 1977, Israeli forces entered the town, leading to fierce clashes with the pro-Israel militia led by Saad Haddad and Lebanese-Palestinian joint forces.
Israel officially occupied Khiam on March 14, 1978, during the first invasion of southern Lebanon, following three days of heavy bombardment.
Just a few days later, on March 17, Haddad’s militia carried out a massacre, killing 61 people, the youngest being just 60 years old. Residents reported widespread displacement and complete destruction of the town.
Ongoing Destruction
For five years, residents did not return, as Khiam became unlivable. After Israel's occupation, some residents slowly returned as a security zone was established.
The “South Lebanon Army,” led by Antoine Lahad, took over the notorious Khiam prison.
In the 1980s, Israel turned the town into a training ground for urban warfare, conducting drills that left it in a state of sustained destruction for 15 years, until Israel withdrew in 2000.
After the liberation of southern Lebanon, Khiam began to expand as residents returned, rebuilding homes and starting businesses.
However, around 40% of these new structures were destroyed during the 2006 war, marking the third wave of destruction.
The conflict saw Hezbollah destroy several Israeli Merkava tanks in the Khiam plains.
Once again, residents rebuilt, creating a more modern town with new mansions, schools, and healthcare facilities, making it a key hub in the region.
2023 Conflict
The situation in Khiam is once again dire as Hezbollah launched its war in support of Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. Official sources report that by Sept. 23, more than 550 residential units had been destroyed.
Each day, Khiam faces artillery shelling and Israeli airstrikes, with the frequency of these attacks rising recently. Israeli forces have begun a ground operation to take control of the town and its elevated areas.