Jordan urges international support to ensure voluntary return of Syrian refugees

“The future of Syrian refugees is in their own country, not in Jordan” — Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi

AMMAN — Jordan has stressed the need for the international community to take practical and immediate steps to create necessary circumstances for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi made the remarks at a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi in Amman, where he called on relevant UN agencies to take such steps, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday in a statement.

The future of Syrian refugees is in their own country, not in Jordan, said Safadi, adding that offering decent living conditions for them is indispensable, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the outcomes of the recent talks held by the kingdom and UNHCR with the Syrian government on offering required guarantees and establishing essential infrastructure for the refugees’ return.

Safadi and Grandi also talked about the “dangerous repercussions” of the decline in international support for the Syrian refugees and their host countries to continue to provide living, medical and educational services to the refugees.

Safadi said that Jordan has exceeded its ability to host Syrian refugees, and would not be able to maintain the level of services without international support.

Grandi praised Jordan’s significant humanitarian role in hosting refugees and providing them with a decent living.

They also discussed the preparation for the 2023 Global Refugee Forum which will be hosted by Switzerland and UNHCR in Geneva in December.

On Tuesday, King Abdullah II of Jordan met with Grandi in Amman to discuss the need for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities toward host countries of refugees, said a royal court statement.

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