THE HAGUE - The Dutch government is offering Syrians 900 euros in cash to voluntarily return to Damascus - almost double the maximum of 500 euros in cash typically given to asylum seekers upon voluntary departure. In return, the Syrians must sign a statement in which they withdraw their asylum application or return their temporary residency permit. Returning to the Netherlands is not possible after that, AD reports.
The Return and Departure Service (DTenV) told the newspaper that since the fall of the Assad regime, it has received “requests and telephone calls” from “Syrians who want to return to Syria.” During an intake interview, the service does warn of the risks of returning to Syria as it is not clear whether the country is safe. Declaring parts of Syria safe was one of the measures the Cabinet announced after giving up on declaring an asylum emergency, but it has not been implemented yet.
DTenV set up a special website for helping Syrians return to Syria. Surprisingly, the information on the site is only in Dutch. Though the video that Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber (PVV) posted on social media, announcing that the government will help Syrians return, was subtitled in Arabic and English. Earlier this month, she told RTL that the government plans to eventually force Syrian refugees to return.
The site stresses that it does not help with “family visits or to collect belongings,” only with “sustainable return.” Dutch officials will even help arrange the trip for Syrians living in the Netherlands, although the site does not make clear whether the Dutch government will also cover the costs of the trip.
Syrians can make use of this offer if they are still waiting for the outcome of their asylum application, have a temporary residence permit, or are living undocumented in the Netherlands. They must have a passport, valid or expired. Those who don’t can arrange travel documents through the Syrian embassy in Brussels. The DTenV can ensure that they “get permission to travel through Belgian territory if necessary.”
Asylum seekers who voluntarily return to their country of origin can always receive money to get through the first weeks. The “basic departure support” is 200 euros for an adult and 40 euros for a child. They can sometimes also apply for a “reintegration allowance” of up to 1,800 euros per adult, to help them set up a small business or get training for a job. Only 300 euros of that amount can be given in cash. That amounts to a maximum of 500 euros in cash per adult. Syrians can get almost double that amount.
