SYRIA
Syrian Refugees: The ongoing conflict in Syria, now in its sixth year, continues to displace thousands of Syrians both within and outside of the country. As of 30 September, 2016 UNHCR had registered a total of 4,779,568 Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries and North Africa, since the conflict began. This marks a decrease in registered Syrians of 0.7% (33,611 individuals) since the figures of the last reporting period on July 31, 2016. At the end of August, 2016 the total number of asylum application in Europe (since April 2011) was at 1,151,865, an increase of 56,768 applications (5.2%) since June 2016. ACAPS reports that in 2016 the number of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries has grown by less than 200,000 due to restrictions preventing movement from conflict areas.
Refugees in Syria: As of June 30, 2016, there were a reported 28,932 refugees and asylum seekers in Syria. No new figures were available during the reporting period. Of these, 24,027 were Iraqi, 1,521 Afghan, 910 Sudanese, 511 Somali, 179 Pakistani, and 1,784 individuals of other nationalities. An estimated 450,000 Palestinian refugees also remain in Syria. In June, UNHCR reported that the number of refugees in the country was decreasing as the security situation worsened.
Conflict and Displacement: By the end of September 2016, OCHA reported a total of 6,145,004 internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Syria. The majority are in Rural Damascus (1,437,874 IDPs) and Aleppo (1,112,814 IDPs) governorates, with hundreds of thousands of people also displaced in Idleb, Damascus, Lattakia, Dar’a, and Homs, among other areas. Military escalation in Aleppo and other areas since February 2016 has displaced some 351,713 Syrians to date, including 7,613 people from Hama and Aleppo in September, as well as some 25,000 IDPs from Aleppo in August. Fighting in Al-Hasakeh governorate in North-Eastern Syria has displaced 50,641 people since February 1, in addition to some 7,730 Syrians displaced in Dar’a and Quneitra in August 2016.
A nationwide ‘cessation of hostilities’ was announced on September 12, 2016. It held for 7 days before breaking down on September 19 and resulting in renewed conflict in Aleppo, Homs, and Rural Damascus. This was marked by the bombing of an aid convoy near Aleppo.
Closing Borders: The ability of Syrians to seek protection internationally is increasingly limited due to growing restrictions on borders surrounding Syria, and throughout Europe. The construction of a border fence along Syria’s border with Turkey is one example of these changes (see Turkey section). For Syrians today, very few legal routes to exit the country remain. Their situation is characterised by tightly controlled land borders, strict visa requirements to enter Lebanon, a recently closed Jordanian border, and visa requirements for entry to Turkey by sea or air, though limited irregular entry by land still occurs. The closure of the Balkan route in March 2016, and the implementation of the EU-Turkey Agreement in the same month have severely restricted the movement of Syrians to Europe.
Reports in June 2016 estimated that 160,000 people were stranded in Syria along the Turkish border, though no more recent data or updates are available regarding this situation. The border has remained closed for the past 19 months, with some medical exceptions (see Turkey section). There are also thousands of Syrians stranded between the two berms at Syria’s southern border with Jordan (see Jordan section). In September 2016 an estimated 75,000 people were stranded at the berm in poor conditions with limited aid.
Eastern Mediterranean Route: Use of the Eastern Mediterranean route to Europe has decreased dramatically in comparison to 2015, despite the 6,527 arrivals by sea in Greece from August 1 to September 30. These figures mark an 87.8% increase (3,053 individuals) when compared to the recorded arrivals in June and July. Of these arrivals 1,978 were Syrian, a 104% increase compared to the previous reporting period. Despite these figures, arrivals to Greece by sea in August were down 97% from the same month in 2015, while September arrivals were down 98%.
Additionally, refugees and other mixed migrants continue to enter Europe via the Bulgarian-Turkish border, with the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior reporting that 14,656 migrants have been apprehended entering, exiting, or residing in the country in 2016. The majority of people irregularly entering and stranded in Bulgaria (see Turkey section) are from Afghanistan, followed by Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan. Most refugees and other mixed migrants enter Bulgaria on foot through the country’s ‘green border’ with Turkey, though some cross at regular checkpoints by hiding in vehicles.
Other Routes to Europe: According to IOM the number of Syrians using the Central Mediterranean Route to Europe (by boat from Libya or Egypt to Italy) has decreased, despite predictions that the EU-Turkey Agreement would shift migration routes in this direction. Refugees Deeply reports that the number of Syrians crossing the Mediterranean via Libya and Egypt has decreased since the agreement came into effect, with only 577 Syrians (0.5% of total arrivals) reaching Italy from Egypt and Libya in the first 8 months of 2016, according to UNHCR. This is compared to 6,710 Syrians having used this route at the end of August 2015. Arrivals in Italy are primarily from Nigeria, Eritrea, Gambia, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Somalia, Mali, and Senegal. A statement by the European Commission on July 8, 2016 acknowledges that while a small number (unspecified) of boats are arriving in Italy directly from Egypt and Turkey, that it is not possible to confirm the development of a new travel route to Italy.
On September 21, 2016, at least 43 people were killed when a boat carrying nearly 600 people capsized off the Egyptian coast. The boat was carrying Egyptians, Sudanese, Eritreans, and Somalis. One Syrian was reportedly among the survivors.
A new report from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) claims that the number of refugees and other mixed migrants arriving in Europe by ‘covert’ routes (unknown or lesser understood routes including land crossings to Greece, and routes through Russia, Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine), has been rising since the EU-Turkey Agreement in March. ODI figures show that in 2016, some 60% of asylum applications in Europe came from people who arrived using ‘covert’ land routes, as compared to 40% who arrived using ‘overt’ sea routes. Findings show that only one third of covert arrivals in Europe are Syrian.
Refugee and Migrant Vulnerability: A recent IOM report from the Missing Migrants Project, states that 81 people died while travelling within the Middle East in the first half of 2016. Of these, at least 69 were Syrian nationals, and the majority were killed at the Syrian-Turkish border. More recently, 3 deaths were reported at sea, along the Eastern Mediterranean route, in August and 27 in September. Thus there were 30 recorded deaths during the reporting