UAE hosting 100,000 more Syrians since start of fighting
UAE hosting 100,000 more Syrians since start of fighting
The UAE's foreign minister has said the number of Syrians living in the country has doubled since the start of the country's war five years ago.
2 min read
The Syrian crisis forced thousands of citizens to migrate across the world [Getty]
The UAE has claimed that 100,000 more Syrians are living in the country since war broke out five years ago in Syria.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan made the comments during a press conference held in Abu Dhabi with his German counterpart Frank Walter Steinmeier.
Nahyan also noted that the Syrian population in the UAE has doubled since uprisings began in 2011, but refused to refer to the newcomers as "refugees".
"It has been five years since the start of violence in Syria and the number of Syrians in the UAE was 100,000, and today, the number has increased a lot, and we do not call them refugees. But we now have 100,000 more Syrians since the beginning of the events in Syria," the royal said.
Nahyan also alluded to his country making new efforts to support Syria's neighbours - Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey - which are hosting the vast majority of Syrian refugees.
"We also have a concern about 7 million refugees or internally displaced people inside Syria as well and this is very complicated," the foreign minister said.
"I think that the only solution to address this issue lies in finding a solution to the Syrian crisis. As long as the situation remains in Syria, things will become especially complicated for the refugee issue specifically."
But he warned that stability in Iraq and Syria can only be restored if Iran "stops interfering in Arab affairs".
Gulf states have been severely criticised for not doing enough in response to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Leading NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused GCC countries of not offering any refugee resettlement places to displaced Syrians.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan made the comments during a press conference held in Abu Dhabi with his German counterpart Frank Walter Steinmeier.
Nahyan also noted that the Syrian population in the UAE has doubled since uprisings began in 2011, but refused to refer to the newcomers as "refugees".
"It has been five years since the start of violence in Syria and the number of Syrians in the UAE was 100,000, and today, the number has increased a lot, and we do not call them refugees. But we now have 100,000 more Syrians since the beginning of the events in Syria," the royal said.
Nahyan also alluded to his country making new efforts to support Syria's neighbours - Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey - which are hosting the vast majority of Syrian refugees.
"We also have a concern about 7 million refugees or internally displaced people inside Syria as well and this is very complicated," the foreign minister said.
"I think that the only solution to address this issue lies in finding a solution to the Syrian crisis. As long as the situation remains in Syria, things will become especially complicated for the refugee issue specifically."
But he warned that stability in Iraq and Syria can only be restored if Iran "stops interfering in Arab affairs".
Gulf states have been severely criticised for not doing enough in response to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Leading NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused GCC countries of not offering any refugee resettlement places to displaced Syrians.
However, the UAE says that since 2011, it has hosted over 100,000 Syrians by extending their residence permits or renewing their visas.
There has not been any independent confirmation of the number of refugees admitted by the UAE, who have fled Syria since the start of the war.
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