ROME (Sputnik) — He added that many Syrians could not live in the country not only because of terrorist threat, but also because of economic restrictions.
"Migrants want to return back to their country… I want to say that the problem has been created by the representatives of Europe, who support terrorists in our country either directly or indirectly. They have created the wave of refugees heading for Europe… Europe should support of terrorists and should withdraw from embargo that had made many Syrians to move to you [to Europe]," Assad told the Italian Giornale newspaper in an interview.
According to Assad, there is no need to invite the refugees to return to the country, because they are the owners of Syria and that's why they do not need any invitation.
Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, following the protests that had turned violent, as part of the so-called Arab Spring. The European Union has imposed a number of sanctions on certain Syrian individuals and entities in order to affect Damascus during the conflict. The civil war made millions of Syrians leave their native country and to become refugees in other places, including in the EU member states.
