Johan Forssell and Minister of International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa (M) are the first Swedish ministers to visit Syria since Bashar al-Assad's regime fell in December last year.
It is in Sweden's interest to increase returns to Syria. Above all, it is about being able to carry out more deportations of convicted criminals. In Sweden, there are currently 128 Syrians who have been convicted of crimes that require deportation but who still remain in the country, according to Forssell.
Several of them have committed very serious crimes. There are also questions about threats to national security, he says.
By committing crimes in Sweden, these people have also chosen not to be part of Sweden. They should therefore be deported.
“Technical team”
He emphasizes that all countries have a responsibility to welcome their citizens.
According to Forssell, the expanded cooperation could, for example, involve the Syrians sending a technical team to Sweden to look at the cases individually and sort out issues such as identity. But the agreement will need to be "concreted."
I still see it as significant that we have taken it into account that it is a Swedish interest, and they have confirmed that we will cooperate, says Forssell.
According to Benjamin Dousa, the ministers were "very clear" in the meeting with the Syrian Foreign Minister.
You can't expect hundreds of millions of Swedish people if you don't also welcome your own citizens, says Dousa.
No schedule
The Migration Minister cannot give a timetable for when more deportations to Syria might be possible. The security situation in the war-torn country is unstable, as is the protection of minority groups.
"You always make an individual assessment, are there any obstacles to enforcement? We don't deport anyone if, for example, they risk torture," says Forssell.
Syria is now ruled by a transitional government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former leader of the Islamist rebel group HTS. The movement, which was linked to al-Qaeda, has been officially dissolved.
