UN Condemns Denmark’s Decision to Deport Syrians

Migrants check a departure board at Copenhagen Central Station (File photo: Reuters)
Migrants check a departure board at Copenhagen Central Station (File photo: Reuters)
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UN Condemns Denmark’s Decision to Deport Syrians

Migrants check a departure board at Copenhagen Central Station (File photo: Reuters)
Migrants check a departure board at Copenhagen Central Station (File photo: Reuters)

The Danish authorities are being criticized for revoking the residence permits of dozens of Syrian refugees after declaring parts of Syria as a “safe place to send refugees back.”

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed concern about Copenhagen’s decision despite the suspension of deportations, in light of the absence of communication between the Danish government and the Syrian regime.

UNHCR issued a communique Thursday, calling for maintaining the protection of migrants, saying the recent security improvements in parts of Syria are not sufficient, stable, or permanent to justify ending international protection for any group of refugees.

The organization demanded that Syrian refugees are not forcibly returned to any place in their country, regardless of who controls the area in question.

Since June 2020, Copenhagen has embarked on a large-scale process to review each of the cases of 461 Syrians from Damascus, saying the current situation in the city no longer justifies granting or extending their residence permit.

Last week, Aya Abu Daher, 19, appealed to the authorities to keep her in Denmark, especially that she’s a few months away from graduating from high school.

Activists reported on social media the case of Aya and many other refugees who are threatened to return to Syria.

Abu Daher's school principal urged the government to reverse its decision and allow her to continue her studies in Denmark, saying she is an exemplary student.

Last March, Denmark revoked the permits of 94 Syrians, out of 273 cases that were studied individually, according to the latest report of the Danish Immigration Services. Some of them have been placed in immigration detention.

Denmark aims for “zero asylum seekers” to see an end to asylum requests in the country. The policy encourages the voluntary return of Syrians and has only issued temporary residence permits since 2015.

Legally, permits are granted without time limits, in the event of an extremely dangerous situation in the country of origin, characterized by arbitrary violence and attacks on civilians.



Ukraine Scrambling for Clarity as US Downplays Halt to Arms Shipments

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy looks on during a visit to a military training area to find out about the training of Ukrainian soldiers on the US Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, at an undisclosed location, in Germany, June 11, 2024.   Jens Buttner/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy looks on during a visit to a military training area to find out about the training of Ukrainian soldiers on the US Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, at an undisclosed location, in Germany, June 11, 2024. Jens Buttner/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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Ukraine Scrambling for Clarity as US Downplays Halt to Arms Shipments

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy looks on during a visit to a military training area to find out about the training of Ukrainian soldiers on the US Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, at an undisclosed location, in Germany, June 11, 2024.   Jens Buttner/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy looks on during a visit to a military training area to find out about the training of Ukrainian soldiers on the US Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, at an undisclosed location, in Germany, June 11, 2024. Jens Buttner/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

US officials on Wednesday downplayed a White House announcement that Washington was pausing some weapons shipments to Ukraine, after the war-battered country was caught off-guard and appealed for clarity.

Ukraine is contending with some of Russia's largest missile and drone attacks of the three-year war, and a halt to the provision of munitions -- especially for air defense -- would be a significant blow to Kyiv.

"The Department of Defense continues to provide the president with robust options regarding military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told journalists Wednesday.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce meanwhile told reporters that "this is not a cessation of us assisting Ukraine or of providing weapons. This is one event, and one situation, and we'll discuss what else comes up in the future."

The White House had said Tuesday that it is halting some key weapons shipments to Ukraine that were promised under the Biden administration, without providing details on which weapons programs were affected, said AFP.

It said the decision was taken after a review of US defense needs and of its military assistance to foreign countries.

Moscow reveled in the decision, saying that it could bring the end of the war closer.

Politico and other US media reported that missiles for Patriot air defense systems, precision artillery and Hellfire missiles are among the items being held back.

But the State Department's Bruce said Wednesday that "the president has also indicated his remaining commitment regarding Patriot missiles," Bruce said, referring to an air defense system that has played a key role in defending against Russian attacks.

Kyiv has long feared halts to US aid after Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, having criticized the tens of billions of dollars in support and weapons sent by his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening address that Kyiv and Washington were clarifying details on supplies.

"Continued American support for Ukraine, for our defense, for our people is in our common interest," he said.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry summoned John Ginkel, the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Kyiv, in a rare diplomatic move that is usually reserved for foes and rivals, not vital allies, indicative of the uncertainty about what the cuts would mean for Kyiv.

Under Biden, Washington spearheaded Western support for Ukraine, with Congress having approved more than $100 billion in aid, including $43 billion in weaponry.

Trump instead has pushed the two sides into peace talks, including in phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin -- who rejected pleas for a ceasefire and demanded that Ukraine cede more territory if it wants Moscow to halt its invasion, which was launched in 2022.

'Consistent pressure'

Trump has refused to announce new aid packages and Kyiv has been corralling Washington's European allies to step up their support.

Kyiv remains "seriously dependent" on US arms supplies, a high-ranking source in the Ukrainian military told AFP.

"Europe is doing its best, but it will be difficult for us without American ammunition," the source added.

A May report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said that Europe "had only made limited progress" in strengthening its defense industries.

But it said that "continued US aid remains extremely important for Ukraine's long-term effectiveness on the battlefield."

In Moscow, the Kremlin said that reducing weapons deliveries to Kyiv would help end the conflict.

"The fewer the number of weapons that are delivered to Ukraine, the closer the end of the special military operation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in response to a question by AFP, using Russia's term for its more than three-year-long offensive.

Escalating drone attacks

Russia ramped up attacks on Ukraine in June, launching nearly twice as many missiles and more than 30 percent more drones than in May, according to an AFP analysis of Ukrainian air force data.

Kyiv was in June subjected to at least four fatal attacks that left more than 40 people dead. Its residents are worried that a cessation of US aid would leave the capital even more vulnerable.

"We had gotten used to seeing America as a country of values, a country that defends democracy," Igor Stambol, a Kyiv resident, told AFP.

"But there is hope that they will remember their values," the 36-year-old added.