Nigel Farage has warned that the eruption of a new phase in Syria’s civil war could trigger a new wave of refugees and urged the government to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to allow expulsions of migrants.

The British Reform leader said The telegraph yesterday: “We must protect ourselves from the stupidity of the EU and leave the ECHR or face new waves of young men arriving in the UK. »

His warning came shortly after Peter Ford, the former British ambassador to Syria, told LBC that the rebel uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s rule could lead to an “influx” of refugees heading for Syria. Europe.

Islamist-led rebel groups broke out of their stronghold in Syria’s northwest Idlib province last week and invaded the neighboring regions of Aleppo and Hama, taking Syrian forces by surprise. ‘Assad.

Farage claims that the UK’s membership of the ECHR prevents Westminster from tackling immigration, as migrants can challenge their deportation from the UK at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

But experts say that’s not necessarily the case, pointing out that the court can only intervene in very specific circumstances.

“The European Court of Human Rights can only block expulsions in cases where there is evidence that a person may suffer very serious harm by being returned to a third country,” said Ilias Trispiotis, professor of Human Rights Law at the University of Leeds. EuroNews and EuroVerify.

“Even if the UK decided to withdraw from the ECHR, state authorities would still be unable to deport migrants of their choosing to third countries due to other international laws, treaties and obligations outside the ECHR,” Trispiotis said.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is seen while attending a Reform UK press conference on November 28, 2024.

Displaced Syrian Kurds board vehicles loaded with goods on the Aleppo-Raqqa highway as they flee areas on the outskirts of the northern city of Aleppo that were once controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF ) led by the Kurds, after being seized by the Islamists. led the rebels on December 2, 2024

Displaced Syrians flee Aleppo as fighting rages between rebel and government forces

Syrian government forces loyal to Assad were caught off guard, hastily withdrawing and abandoning stockpiles of military equipment supplied by Russia and Iran and eagerly seized by the advancing rebels.

Some believe the new offensive constitutes a brutal but short-lived uprising that Assad’s forces, with the support of his Russian and Iranian allies, will quickly crush.

But many others believe it could open a new chapter in Syria’s torrid history, which could finally see Assad’s rule come to a violent end, some 13 years after the first uprisings that sparked the civil war .

This scenario could see Syria descend further into chaos, with rival factions, regional powers and global players like Russia and the United States vying for influence – while long-suffering civilians bear the brunt. the cost.

Syria has been at war since President Assad suppressed pro-democracy protests in 2011, with subsequent fighting involving foreign powers and jihadists leaving around half a million dead.

In addition to the shocking death toll, figures revealed earlier this year by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) revealed that more than 14 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety since the start of the conflict and the outbreak of one of the worst conflicts in the world. humanitarian crises.

More than 7.2 million Syrians are still internally displaced and around 5.5 million Syrian refugees live in Syria’s five neighboring countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.

Germany is the largest non-neighboring host country with more than 850,000 Syrian refugees, largely thanks to former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to pursue an “open borders” migration policy in 2015, which constitutes now a very controversial topic in German politics.

Germany introduced strict border controls earlier this year in a bid to reduce uncontrolled illegal immigration.

For comparison, between 2014 and June 2024, around 59,000 asylum seekers were resettled or relocated to the UK under various schemes. About 20,000 of them were Syrians resettled between 2014 and 2020, according to British Parliament figures.

Farage says UK membership of ECHR prevents Westminster from tackling immigration as migrants can challenge their deportation from the UK at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) – but experts legal disputed his argument.

Syrian National Army (SNA) soldiers continue their advance in the Tel Rifaat district

Smoke rises after airstrikes by Assad regime warplanes and Russian forces on Idlib province, Syria

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday he was “alarmed” by the escalation of violence in Syria and called for an immediate end to the fighting which, according to his organization, has caused the displacement of nearly 50,000 people in less than a week.

“All parties must do everything possible to protect civilians and civilian objects, including by providing safe passage to civilians fleeing hostilities,” Guterres spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

“Syrians have endured conflict for almost 14 years. They deserve a political horizon that will bring them a peaceful future, not more bloodshed,” he added.

The conflict had remained dormant, with Assad regaining control of much of the country until Wednesday, when a rebel alliance led by Islamist armed groups launched its offensive.

The Syrian army and its Russian ally responded with deadly air raids on areas under rebel control.

The fighting left more than 457 dead, including at least 72 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

As of November 30, more than 48,500 people had been displaced in Idlib and northern Aleppo, more than half of whom were children, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said on Monday, adding that the situation was very fluid.

“Tens of thousands of people on the move; critical services interrupted; women, men and children fearing for their safety,” OCHA chief Tom Fletcher told X, calling the situation “worrying.”

“Syrians have already endured more than 13 years of suffering. All parties must do more to protect civilians.

The number of displaced people is up sharply from the 14,000 people reported on November 28.

And according to Dujarric, UN peacekeeping operations in the country have been “largely suspended” in Aleppo, Idlib and Hama due to security concerns.