Contribution
My Lords, these regulations amend the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the UK has engaged with and supported the new Syrian Government to help to build a secure, prosperous future for all Syrians. The UK has long stood by the people of Syria and will continue to do so as they rebuild their country. The pace of change over the past year has been encouraging and the next phase of the political transition is crucial. A stable Syria is firmly in the interests of the region and the UK. This is why the Prime Minister welcomed Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa on his first visit to the UK on 31 March 2026.
On 21 April, this Government laid a statutory instrument to amend the Syria sanctions regulations. The instruments revoked specific UK sanctions measures on some sectors of the Syrian economy, namely, on gold, diamonds, precious metals and luxury goods, including automobiles. This action allows British companies to trade with and invest in these sectors in Syria. Sustained investment in these and other sectors supports both British industry and Syria’s economic recovery. This is the latest step in a series of actions designed to support Syria’s economy and allow UK business to contribute to and benefit from the country’s economic recovery.
In February 2025, shortly after the fall of the Assad regime, HM Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation issued a general licence allowing payments to support humanitarian delivery. This provided essential sanctions relief to Syria at a time when the country faced staggering humanitarian need and a broken economy. Then, in April 2025, this Government revoked a number of sanctions on energy, transport, financial transactions and trade. We also delisted Syrian organisations that had been used by the Assad regime to fund the oppression of the Syrian people. This included the Central Bank of Syria, Syrian Air and several energy and media companies. The UK was at the forefront of Western countries to lift sanctions on Syria, recognising that enabling the flow of investment into Syria was essential for the country’s recovery and reconstruction.
In parallel, the UK is actively engaged with British companies to understand the barriers to market entry and to support their re-entrance into the Syrian market. During his visit to London in March, Syrian President al-Sharaa joined the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa at a UK-Syria business reception, where he heard investment proposals from a range of UK firms as well as the government support for British companies wanting to invest in Syria.
The amendments made to our sanctions regime last year have allowed us to continue to use sanctions as a tool to promote peace, stability and security in Syria while encouraging respect for the rule of law and the protection of human rights. That is why sanctions remain in place on those who committed gross human rights violations by or on behalf of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The amendments that this Government have made to the Syria sanctions regime, both this year and last year, reflect the momentous changes that have taken place in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime. They support the Syrian people in rebuilding their country and economy and make sure that our regime is up to date. We keep all our sanctions regimes under close review to ensure that they are used as a responsive tool, targeting those who bear responsibility for repression and human rights abuses.
Noble Lords may rightly raise concerns about violence that has taken place in Syria since the fall of Assad, whether in the coastal areas, Sweida or the north-east. I reassure noble Lords that the UK remains committed to holding those responsible for violence against civilians in Syria to account. In December 2025, the UK sanctioned individuals and organisations involved in the coastal violence and Assad-era atrocities to hold to account perpetrators of human rights abuses. Additionally, two individuals who financially supported the Assad regime were sanctioned.
In our engagements with the Syrian Government, we consistently emphasise the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians and of a genuinely inclusive political transition. Meaningful representation of Syria’s diverse communities is critical to strengthening Syria’s social fabric and underpinning a better future for the country.