Refugees International Welcomes President Trump’s Decision to Lift U.S. Sanctions on Syria
Statement from Refugees International Senior Advocate for the Middle East Jesse Marks:
On May 13, President Trump announced his intention to lift sanctions on Syria—marking the beginning of the end of fifteen years of crippling economic isolation. If fully implemented, the decision could jumpstart Syria’s recovery and offer millions of Syrians a chance to rebuild their country and their lives.
Earlier this week, Refugees International joined more than 55 Syrian and international NGOs calling on President Trump to ease Syrian sanctions. Doing so will help ease the country’s humanitarian crisis and support Syrians’ ability to return, rebuild, and recover after years of war.
While U.S. sanctions once played a role in isolating the Assad regime, they have increasingly harmed ordinary Syrians—blocking aid, restricting basic services, and stalling recovery. Lifting these restrictions now creates an opportunity to reverse this damage and support more sustainable, locally led recovery efforts.
But the process of lifting sanctions is neither swift nor automatic. It will take months to revise sanctions lists, issue new guidance, and coordinate with banks and humanitarian actors. In the meantime, Syrians remain trapped in limbo. President Trump should use his Section 7431 authority under the Caesar Action to immediately pause Caesar sanctions for 180 days while the broader policy effort takes shape. Such a pause would send a clear signal to aid agencies, financial intermediaries, and regional governments that the U.S. is serious about enabling recovery—and, more urgently, allow assistance to reach those who cannot afford to wait.
Meanwhile, this move must not be used as a pretext by refugee-hosting countries to pressure Syrian refugees to return prematurely. Refugees International’s May report highlighted the scale of emergency ongoing inside Syria, which sanctions relief can ease, but not fully reverse in the short-term.
We urge the administration to move quickly to issue clear guidance, expand humanitarian licenses, and coordinate closely with humanitarian actors, financial institutions, and regional governments. Without swift implementation, the benefits of this decision may not reach those who need it most.”
See more:
- Joint NGO Statement: +55 Syrian and International NGOs Call on Trump Administration to Ease Syria Sanctions
- Refugees International Report: Beyond the Fall: Rebuilding Syria After Assad
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Etant Dupain at edupain@refugeesinternational.org.