As more than 13 million displaced Syrians continue to suffer harsh living conditions and uncertainty, the apparent steps by sections of international community to normalize the repressive regime of Bashar Al Assad are resulting in a split reality: on one hand that in which returnees to Assad-held areas are subjected to torture and enforced disappearance, women and children in refugee camps in the north dying under indiscriminate bombardment and refugees in increasing number of countries facing a premature, forced return; and the other in which the regime and its backers are organizing return conferences and the senior UN officials openly promoting dependence on the regime to “ensure security” of returnees.  

The world must never forget that Syria, despite Russian propaganda and groups touring the country amid people who may simply “disappear” if they or their relatives say something not pleasing to the regime, is not safe and unlikely to be so any time soon.  

On the other hand, about two months after the Daraa agreement, which stipulated the withdrawal of medium and light weapons from the city, major concerns have been raised over the security of those wanted by the regime as well as those who have joined the regime forces.   

Evidence clearly shows that the Syrian regime, alongside its Russian and Iranian allies, does not aim to use “reconciliation agreements” to establish an environment suitable for the return of the displaced people, but rather to secure full control of the territory with negligible numbers of the original population. The model applied in the south and its resulting effects, confirm once again that the reconciliation model orchestrated by Russia and the Syrian regime, with the support of Iran, is very far from attaining any peace and stability in the region.  

The Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity reminded the UN special envoy for Syria and key states working on the political solution that establishing a safe environment, under robust international guarantees, must be the first priority and is an absolute pre-requisite for a safe and dignified return of more than 13 million displaced Syrians who form the majority population of the country.   

UN special envoy and key states involved in the apparently ongoing deliberations on return must not ignore the voice of displaced Syrians in this discussion crucial to the future of Syria. Doing so would be a dereliction of duty to the existing legal framework and to the displaced Syrians, and would inevitably render any decision on return meaningless and counter-productive.  

“Feeling safe is dependent on more than one aspect. We fear sudden bombing by [Syrian] regime. We fear deterioration of life quality. And we also fear of leaving the house by demand of the house owner.” These were the words of Wajdi Al-Jasem, a Syrian from Deir Ezzor, who has been displaced several times and eventually ended up in Idlib.  

Feeling safe and the definition of safety in a specific place and time, is a very tricky topic when in it comes to the refugees’ subject. Many people think that safety in Syria means the end of war or the end of a direct life-threating situation. Many governments think that they have the right to judge if Syria is safe or not based on their own perspective that they obtain from data.