Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026

Considered in Grand Committee

Moved by

That the Grand Committee do consider the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026.

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.

To conclude, the past year has seen significant strides forward in Syria, and the Government welcome the progress made by the Syrian Government to open Syria to the world, attract investment and reduce the threat of terrorism. President al-Sharaa’s visit to the UK in March was his first. His meetings with the Prime Minister and His Majesty the King cemented a new era for the UK-Syria relationship.

A stable Syria is firmly in the UK’s interest, and we will continue to stand with the Syrian people. We are committed to working with the Syrian Government to support Syria’s stability, promote regional security and protect the UK’s national interests, including reducing the risks of irregular migration, terrorism and other threats to our national security. I beg to move.

My Lords, as the Minister said, this SI amends the sanctions on Syria to allow access to UK luxury goods exports. It follows previous steps to lift sanctions on Syria following the fall of the hated Assad regime, which was responsible for appalling atrocities. Its decision to crush the peaceful pro-democracy protests in 2011 plunged Syria into a decade-long civil war that left 400,000 people dead. Half of Syria’s pre-war population was displaced as a result of the war.

In our view, the Syrian people deserve a brighter future, and we all sincerely hope that the next chapter in Syria’s story is more peaceful and prosperous than the previous one. Sadly, the road to peace and prosperity is long and hard fought. We know that Syria under the new transitional Government still faces serious challenges, including some deplorable examples of sectarian violence. I note that lifting the sanctions mentioned in this SI will mean that the UK will move forward in line with our American and European partners. We should continue to work closely with our allies to support Syria’s recovery.

On the situation in Syria today, will the Minister update the Committee on the progress being made by the transitional Government towards a democratic future for Syria? Will he also set out any assessment his department has made of the impact of the conflict in Iran and the Gulf on progress towards what we hope will be a better future for Syria?

We have discussed the very concerning examples of sectarian violence in Syria in recent months. Will the Minister say what engagement the UK has had with the Syrian transitional Government about this appalling violence? In June last year, a church in Damascus was targeted by suicide bombers thought to have been part of the IS-linked Sunni group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah. The attack killed 25 people and injured 63 others. Will the Minister say what steps the transitional Government are taking to protect Christian communities, in particular, in Syria?

I thank the noble Lord for his support and those questions. I shall deal them, and if there are any outstanding matters I will deal with them by letter, if necessary.

In relation to progress in Syria, the next phase of Syria’s political transition is critical. We want to be sure that the Syrian Government ensure fair representation of diverse communities in positions of authority and consult widely on their planned next steps. This is fundamental to rebuilding and supporting Syria’s longer term transition. We are committed to that, and we were pleased to see indirect elections as a start in that direction.

With regard to the conflict in Iran, as the noble Lord will know, the President of Syria has stayed out of the conflict and kept Syria out of the conflict in Iran, and we welcome that.

On sectarian violence, which he raised, we are concerned about this, and we continue to advocate for the right to freedom of religion or belief for all in Syria. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe. There have been positive steps taken by the Syrian Government in response to the violence in Suwayda in the summer, including President al-Sharaa’s establishment of a committee to investigate the violence fully. We also noted the start of public trials of suspects linked to the violence on the Syrian coast in March. We will follow the judicial process when it resumes in December. We welcome the Syrian Government’s committee being established to investigate, and we particularly welcome the UN independent commission of inquiry being granted access to the area to monitor what is going on.

On the question of protection for the Christian communities, we have been very clear and assertive in the meetings that the Attorney-General and Minister Falconer had with the Syrian President about the crucial role of freedom of religion and belief. We recognise the importance of an inclusive future in Syria for all communities, including the Christian community. Syria is a freedom of religion and belief priority country for the UK, and we continue to use our leadership in multilateral fora to draw international attention to human rights concerns in Syria. However, we do not underestimate the challenges that we face in the transition. We particularly take account of the importance of recognising Syria’s diversity not just in relation to religion, but in relation to the Kurdish community in the north-east of Syria, which the UK Government have played an important role in supporting.