Response to interpellation 2024/25:306 on the developments in Syria

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Sara Gille has asked me what concrete measures I intend to take to strengthen support for civilians in refugee camps in Syria and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches them. The member also asks what measures I intend to take to prevent further escalation in Syria and what initiatives the government and I plan to take in international contexts.

The brutal Assad regime has fallen, which means a historic opportunity for the Syrian people to shape their own future and build a free and democratic Syria. Sweden wants to support this development, both politically and through aid. The process must include the entire Syrian society and respect all the country's minority groups, something Sweden and the EU are clear about.

The humanitarian situation in Syria is deeply concerning and remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. In 2024, Sweden contributed more than a quarter of a billion kronor in humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian civilian population. In addition to this, Sweden is also a major donor of core support to humanitarian actors active in Syria. Sweden's humanitarian support to Syria continues during 2025.

Sweden views with concern the continued violence in northern Syria. De-escalation and stability are important to prevent refugee flows, counter Daesh, and ensure the rights of the Syrian people. Sweden participates in the global coalition to combat Daesh - an important cooperation to counter terrorism and instability.

Sweden stands together with our partners ready to support the Syrian people. The EU's support for Syria is central. It is important that the EU, together with the UN, supports a peaceful, inclusive and orderly process. We give our full support to the UN and the special envoy for Syria.

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Sara Gille (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! I particularly appreciate that the Minister highlights Sweden's humanitarian efforts and emphasizes the importance of international cooperation to meet the problems that Syria faces.

Today, in my three speeches, I want to highlight different aspects of the conflict in Syria: the destruction of cultural heritage, the humanitarian situation, as well as the need for safe zones and political solutions.

It is important to remember that Syria is a young state formation. Syria as we know it today was created during the French mandate in the early 1900s, when the maps were redrawn by the colonial powers. The history of the Syrian people stretches back further than that, but modern Syria has never had the stability that many other countries have had. What we see today – a country almost completely destroyed by war, oppression, and extremism – is the result of a state that has never been given the opportunity to flourish in peace.

But beyond the human lives that have been lost, we face a loss of something immensely valuable to humanity, namely Syria's rich cultural heritage. The systematic looting of museums, the destruction of historical buildings, and the sale of antiquities on the black market is a tragedy not only for Syria but for the entire world. This cultural heritage tells stories of humanity's shared history and diversity, and every lost artifact is a lost part of our common heritage. Historical churches and religious shrines, which have been symbols of the country's multicultural heritage for thousands of years, are being destroyed and looted. Syria has been home to Christians for thousands of years, and their loss would be a lost chapter in the world's cultural history.

Mr. Speaker! UNESCO and other international actors have worked in other conflict zones to protect cultural heritage at risk of destruction. One example is the efforts in Mali, where the UN and international organizations collaborated to restore Timbuktu's sacred manuscripts and monuments after they had been destroyed by extremists. These successes show that it is possible to act quickly and decisively to save threatened cultural heritage. We must learn from these examples and ensure that international efforts are directed towards saving what can still be preserved in Syria.

Sweden has historically been a strong humanitarian actor and a defender of human rights. By participating in initiatives aimed at protecting and restoring cultural heritage, Sweden can not only contribute to preserving humanity's history but also strengthen its reputation as a global leader in culture and human rights. We have a responsibility to stand up for these values even in international contexts.

Therefore, I would like to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs: What does the government intend to do to preserve Syria's cultural and historical identity?

In this speech, Rasmus Giertz and Markus Wiechel (both SD) concurred.

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Rasmus Giertz (SD)

Mr. Speaker! After 14 years of civil war with unimaginable brutality against its own population, the Assad regime has now fallen. After the terrorist group HTS took power in Syria, we could see that there were many in Sweden, primarily immigrant groups, who celebrated it. But I am not as optimistic, Mr. Speaker.

HTS, with its historical links to al-Qaeda, is listed as a terrorist organization by the EU, USA, and UN and has committed extensive abuses against minorities, which has created an environment characterized by fear, persecution, and systematic discrimination.

A group that has been hit hard by HTS terror are Christians. HTS has repeatedly targeted churches and other Christian shrines. These have been destroyed, looted, or converted into military bases. One example is historical churches, which have been destroyed in order to erase the Christian heritage in the region. This is not only an attack against Christians as a religious group but also an attempt to erase a part of Syria's cultural and historical identity.

Christians living in areas controlled by HTS are subjected to threats, violence, and coercion. Many have been abducted - and their families are pressured for money - while others have been killed for refusing to comply with the group's demands. HTS has also introduced systems that force Christians to pay jizya, a form of tax used to oppress and marginalize non-Muslim groups.

Thousands of Christians have been forced to leave their homes in areas controlled by HTS. These forced displacements are part of a broader strategy to change the area's demography and create a homogeneous population that follows the group's extremist ideologies. Those who are forced to flee often leave their entire lives behind, including property and cultural heritage, and are forced to live under difficult conditions as internal refugees or refugees in other countries.

HTS systematically uses propaganda to spread hatred against Christians and other minorities. By portraying Christians as enemies to their cause, the group encourages further violence and persecution. This contributes to a dangerous cycle of radicalization and instability in the region.

Christians in Syria have long been a part of the country's cultural diversity, but the abuses committed by HTS threaten their existence. It is crucial that the international community acts to stop these crimes and protect the vulnerable groups affected by this systematic persecution.

Mr. Speaker! HTS abuses against Christians in Syria require immediate action from the international community. Organizations such as the UN and EU must intensify their efforts to document these crimes and hold those responsible accountable. Furthermore, countries such as Sweden must work to increase protection for religious minorities and support initiatives that promote peace and coexistence in Syria.

I would therefore like to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs: What measures does the government plan to take to protect the country's Christian minority from violence, oppression, and persecution? Does the government intend to take measures to protect Syria's cultural and historical identity and Christian heritage?

In this speech, Sara Gille and Markus Wiechel (both SD) agreed.

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TALMANNEN

I note that the questions in the interpellation concern the support for civilians in refugee camps, humanitarian aid, and preventing the situation from escalating further. It may not cover all the questions that have been asked in the posts here.

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Markus Wiechel (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Sara Gille, for this pressing question and, of course, a big thank you to the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the answer!

A lot has happened since the interpellation was submitted. HTS took over practically all of Syria very quickly. Naturally, we are all very happy that the brutal and ruthless Assad regime has fallen, but it is not only positive signals we see from Syria. HTS is, as the Foreign Minister knows and as my party friends have pointed out, a brutal terrorist organization. It is characterized by its brutality and by its intolerant and radical faith, and it comes from the same ideological family as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. It is even to the extent that the Islamic State and what is today HTS were once at one time one and the same group.

We can all, of course, hope that it turns out as some seem to believe: that the most hardline Islamists, who now have control over Syria, suddenly want to allow dissent and safeguard the diversity that exists in Syria and that these groups could then live side by side. Perhaps we can even hope that they would introduce something resembling democracy.

I am not quite so optimistic. One of the reasons, which we must also not forget, is the many abuses that are now occurring in broad daylight against Christians, Druze, Alawites and many others. In particular, Alawites are especially vulnerable. We also know that the situation for this type of minorities has been horrific in areas such as Idlib, which has for a long time been controlled by HTS.

I have personally spoken with people who have fled since HTS took power. On the same day that HTS took power in Damascus, I made my first calls to find out how the situation was. What I heard was not pleasant at all. It was horrific stories. I am convinced that even from UD, they are aware of the reality that many live in.

Mr. Speaker! There are reasons why a dictator as brutal and ruthless as Assad was able to remain in power for so long. He, in fact, protected the country's minorities. That was a major reason why he received support. He protected them from the forces that have taken power today. I mean, therefore, that there are good reasons to assume that moving forward we will simply see a significantly escalated persecution and a systematic purging of minorities. I am very afraid of that.

Not least for the large Syrian diaspora that we have in Sweden, this issue is very pressing.

I know, Mr. Speaker, that the question concerns refugee camps and aid to vulnerable people in Syria. I think it is a very important issue. I wonder, in fact, what the Foreign Minister and the government will do next to unite the international community and to support these people.

In this speech, Rasmus Giertz and Sara Gille (both SD) concurred.

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! I thank you for an important interpellation.

The brutal Assad regime has fallen, but it is too early to draw any definitive conclusions about where Syria is headed. On Wednesday, I had a digital meeting with women's rights organizations in Syria. It was important for me to listen to people who are on the ground in Syria and hear how they view the situation. I must say that what I heard was concern and fear for what the future looks like for women and girls in Syria. It is exactly as the interpellor has said: We must not be naive.

But Sweden stands together with the EU, the UN and other partners, prepared and willing to support the Syrian people. Great challenges remain, and the political pledges and program statements that have come from the Syrian transitional government need to be put into action. Sweden and the rest of the EU have an interest in contributing to ensuring that this happens.

Sweden is a major humanitarian donor to Syria and also to efforts for civilians in refugee camps in northeastern Syria. The Swedish support aims to provide people with access to such things as food, water, healthcare, and shelter.

The government also adopted a new regional aid strategy for the Syria crisis last year amounting to 880 million Swedish kronor for the period 2024-2026. The strategy aims to promote freedom, combat oppression, strengthen the resilience of the Syrian people by, among other things, improving livelihood opportunities and access to basic social services, combating terrorism, and protecting the rights of religious minorities.

The aid has primarily gone towards creating conditions for people to live and sustain themselves in Syria and in the neighboring countries. It has, for example, involved support for agriculture and access to clean water. It has involved support for maternal care and for survivors of gender-based violence, as well as support for and protection of independent journalists, which is also very important. This work remains highly relevant.

Interventions within the framework of the strategy are carried out throughout Syria, also for the civilian population in the refugee camps in the country's northeastern parts. Here, Sida reaches out directly to people on the ground through its partner organizations with basic community services and support to local civil society organizations.

Finally, Sara Gille focused in her first contribution on an aspect that is not mentioned in the interpellation. It concerns the protection of cultural heritage, which is naturally also an extremely important aspect in these types of situations and conflicts. The government has in Sweden established a council for the protection of cultural heritage during high alert and war, which shows that we see how important the issue is in Sweden in the event of high alert or war – and naturally also in the rest of the world.

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Sara Gille (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Syria is not just a conflict - it is a humanitarian catastrophe without equal. The Assad regime, HTS and Erdogan have turned this young state into a bloody battlefield where nothing is sacred, not even human rights. Over 6.8 million people are internally displaced, and almost 6.6 million Syrian refugees have been forced to leave their homes. It is an unimaginable human tragedy.

Those who suffer the most are the ethnic and religious minorities: Yazidis, Kurds, Christians and Alawites. The Yazidis, who lost thousands of lives as a result of the terrorist group IS's barbaric actions, have now been subjected to threats from other extremist groups. Christians, who have been part of Syria for thousands of years, risk losing everything, including their historical homes. The Kurds, who lost thousands of lives in the fight against IS, have now become targets for both the Assad regime, HTS and Turkey, who see their pursuit of self-determination and rights as a threat.

Mr. Speaker! We can no longer talk about temporary humanitarian aid. I note with pleasure that the Minister emphasizes the importance of long-term solutions in his answer, which I consider to be absolutely crucial for protecting minorities and rebuilding Syria. We must guarantee these groups long-term protection, both physically and politically. If we truly want a sustainable solution in Syria, we must actively fight for these groups to have a place in the Syria of the future. Their rights must be a central part of the political solution. We cannot allow their future to be destroyed through political power speculations.

As a woman with a Kurdish background, I am deeply moved by the reports about women and girls in the refugee camps. They are often the most vulnerable but also those who sustain society under difficult conditions. Reports of violence and oppression are extensive. The women and girls in the refugee camps are subjected not only to physical violence but also to sexual exploitation, forced marriage, and human trafficking. They live under conditions where basic safety and rights are often lacking.

Sweden must ensure that humanitarian efforts include both protection against gender-based violence and the right to education and self-determination for these women. Let us not forget that women are often those who hold societies together even under the most extreme conditions. Strengthening their role is therefore crucial for Syria's reconstruction.

Mr. Speaker! Sweden has a responsibility to be an active voice for human rights and to ensure long-term protection for these groups. It is time for the international community to act. We must stand firm in our commitment that minorities shall have a place at the negotiating table.

I want to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs what Sweden will do to actively drive this issue in the UN and other international forums. How do we ensure that these groups receive lasting protection and political participation? What does the government intend to do to specifically support women and girls in the refugee camps?

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Rasmus Giertz (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the answers in the debate so far!

The situation for Christians is very difficult in many places and has become increasingly worse recently, which has made them the world's most persecuted group. From the very beginning of the conflict, Christians have had it particularly difficult as a vulnerable group, because they have been fewer in number and have not had any neighboring countries or larger organizations that have supported or defended them - hence my focus on Christians specifically in this debate.

In his response to the interpellation, the Minister for Foreign Affairs states that the brutal Assad regime has fallen and that this represents a historical opportunity for the Syrian people to shape their own future and build a free and democratic Syria. But, Mr. Speaker, with HTS in power, I fear that this opportunity rather risks worsening the situation for Christians and other minorities in the region.

I therefore wonder if the Minister for Foreign Affairs can elaborate on how the government intends to ensure that minority groups are respected and included in the process of building a free and democratic Syria.

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Markus Wiechel (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I also wish to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs again for the debate.

These are serious issues we are discussing, and I do not quite feel that I received answers to the questions I asked in my previous speech regarding how the Foreign Minister intends to unite the international community on these issues. It is something that even my party colleagues have touched upon.

I thought I would recount a small anecdote. I visited a small village in Syria called Maaloula. The reason was that I am involved in aid work, and together with a party friend, I found a project where we were to renovate a pharmacy. The village of Maaloula has been Christian since time immemorial and is very important. It was, however, brutally attacked during the civil war by what was then the Nusra Front – the predecessor to HTS. People were slaughtered and displaced, and they destroyed more or less everything Christian in their path. We have with our own eyes seen the destruction that they stood behind and that they carried out, even in other parts of the country, during celebrations of joy.

The Nusra Front, which today is HTS, is in no way a normal rebel group. It is a terribly brutal rebel group, and as I said in my previous post, we have seen what they have accomplished in Idlib, which they have controlled for a long time.

I think this issue is incredibly urgent, and I therefore hope that the Foreign Minister and the government take this seriously and raise the issue with the international community.

In this speech, Rasmus Giertz and Sara Gille (both SD) concurred.

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Syria still faces very great challenges, which we have touched upon here. In parts of the country, including in the north and northeast, the situation on the ground is still unstable. The Government, of course, follows this closely and is concerned by the reports of continued fighting that are received.

All involved parties have a responsibility to ensure the protection of civilians and civil infrastructure as well as unimpeded humanitarian access in accordance with international humanitarian law. De-escalation and stabilization of the situation in northern and northeastern Syria is also important to counter refugee flows and to promote conditions to ensure a positive development in the country for all of Syria's citizens. The government is in dialogue about this with our global partners.

The government, of course, shares the global community's concern regarding the risk of increasing violence-oriented extremism and an increased number of attacks from Daish, whose violence particularly affects ethnic and religious minorities, not least Christians. Sweden participates in the global coalition working to combat Daish, and it is an important cooperation to counter terrorism and instability. It is of fundamental importance that security is ensured in the camps in northeastern Syria where, among others, Daish members are held.

It is positive that the transitional administration in Damascus and the Kurdish-led autonomy in the northeastern part of the country are for a dialogue and that the ceasefire between the parties seems to be holding.

Mr. Speaker! It is fundamental that Syria's territorial integrity is respected by all parties in order to achieve a stable and free Syria. On that point, the EU is also clear, even in the conclusions from the European Council in December. As we always emphasize from the Swedish side, international law must be respected.

For the government's part, it is important to maintain a dialogue with our partners regarding how we can cooperate bilaterally and multilaterally – not least as the EU – to secure legitimate security interests in the region in a way that also contributes to long-term stability in Syria. The next time this comes up in an international context is already on Monday, when we have the FAC meeting in Brussels.

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Sara Gille (SD)

Mr. Speaker! To truly protect the vulnerable groups in Syria - Kurds, Christians, Yazidis and other minorities - we must go beyond theoretical solutions. We must take concrete actions to create safe zones, either under a UN mandate or through international presence, to ensure that these groups are given a chance for survival and safety.

It is also crucial to ensure that minorities are not only included in a future political solution on paper, but that their rights and security become a binding part of the solution. These minorities have the right to participate in the reconstruction of Syria, and their rights must be a guarantee for the future political process. I am pleased that the government, in its response, emphasized the importance of including all groups in the future political process, and I hope that Sweden continues to actively push these issues in international forums.

Sweden must work to ensure that the UN Special Envoy for Syria is given a mandate to prioritize the protection and political participation of minorities. The international community cannot afford to wait. With every passing day, the situation for these vulnerable groups worsens.

Mr. Speaker! I want to conclude my speech by asking two questions to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. What concrete steps will Sweden and the international community take to ensure that protection zones for these groups are established as quickly as possible? How can we guarantee that the rights of minorities are not just on paper but have a binding place in the political solution to ensure long-term peace and security for everyone in Syria?

In this speech, Rasmus Giertz and Markus Wiechel (both SD) concurred.

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! As I said in conclusion in my previous contribution, this question is high on the agenda at the council meeting already this Monday. A number of different aspects of the new situation we see in Syria will be discussed. One of them is how to proceed with different types of sanctions. It is about finding a balance between, on the one hand, giving the civilian population, which is truly suffering, an opportunity to let their economy grow and, on the other hand, creating incentives for the upcoming new government to truly drive the country in the right direction. It is such a question that I imagine will be at the center of the discussion.

We are, as mentioned, following the situation very closely and are also concerned by the reports of continued fighting in northern Syria. Protection of civilians and civil infrastructure as well as unimpeded humanitarian access in accordance with international humanitarian law must be ensured. It is positive that the transitional administration in Damascus and the Kurdish-led autonomy are in dialogue and that the ceasefire between the parties seems to be holding. It is also positive that representatives from the EU in the form of the foreign ministers from France and Germany were on site early and early raised issues such as the need to ensure that women's rights are truly respected by the new government.

I believe that we must increase our presence from the EU side and ensure that Syria continues to be watched in order to thereby ensure that the development goes in the right direction.

The interpellation debate was hereby concluded.

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