The Syrian Embassy in Lebanon has abruptly declared that its consular services would be suspended. The region’s political climate has been agitated by this decision, which was made public a day after two of the former president Bashar al-Assad’s relatives were arrested at Beirut Airport. These relatives were allegedly apprehended with passports suspected to be forged.
The embassy conveyed its decision through a Facebook announcement, stating that the suspension of consular work would be “until further notice.” This directive reportedly came from the Syrian Foreign Ministry. Though the official announcement lacked details regarding the reason for the suspension, its timing has raised speculations and concern across diplomatic circles and the media.
Contributing to the speculation, two Lebanese security officials provided an unconfirmed assertion that the root of the suspension lies in the forgery of the passports. Although these claims have not yet been confirmed or officially recognized, it is thought that these papers were created on the embassy’s grounds.
A similar incident heightened tensions over unlawful cross-border movements. A number of Syrian citizens, including former army commanders, were recently moved to the new Damascus government by Lebanese authorities. The individuals were reportedly apprehended after entering Lebanon illegally, according to a prominent war monitor and Lebanese officials.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in the UK, claimed that around 70 Syrians were handed over to Syria’s new government security forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group with roots in former insurgency. Confirmation to this effect has come from three judicial officials in Lebanon, speaking on terms of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information.
While the region is agitated, some very clear shifting of diplomatic alliances is going on. Immediately after the change in the Assad regime leaders in Syria, many of the regional countries were quick to establish their own link with the new rulers in Syria. Delegations from Libya and Bahrain arrived in Damascus on Saturday for official visits, signaling a realignment of support and diplomatic relations.
Such upheavals also do not represent mere diplomatic moves, but highlight the extent to which the region is volatile and in flux.
The swift move by regional players reconnecting with Syria’s questioned leadership indicates an emerging consensus or at least a practical diplomacy strategy in dealing with the evolving political map.
The suspension of services at the Syrian embassy in Lebanon casts a shadow of uncertainty on the future of Syrian ex-patriots in Lebanon, many of whom depend on consular functions for essential services. Although the speculations regarding the passport forgery inside the embassy persisted, the Syrian Foreign Ministry remains mum on the motive for closing the consulate.
For now, the emphasis is still made on diplomatic processes, possible outcomes, and on further research of the actual role and domination of the new Syrian leadership. As far as the political realities are concerned, both internal as well as external political factors keep on influencing, the lives of the Syrians and this diaspora who are in search of some stable and definite environment due to the ongoing changes in the regional position.
Meanwhile, the international audience looks on as these events unfold with the possibility of diplomacy eventually bringing about structured and predictable governance of this fledgling state, and so at least restore some semblance of ‘order’ for the displaced Syrian nationals that now finds themselves trapped between warring regimes and their uncertain futures.
