Giving Compass' Take:

• News Deeply examines how politics in Europe, Lebanon, and Russia could incite the premature return of refugees to Syria.

• How might advocates in international development community do to help protect these displaced people?

• To learn about how refugee education can fight xenophobia and dystopian populism, click here.

In July, Russia announced it would start working on a large-scale program to return some 1.7 million Syrian refugees to Syria, the bulk of them from Lebanon, in the near future. It would also include some 200,000 now residing in Europe. Russian officials are seeking European endorsement of these proposals, explicitly linking them to the demand that the E.U. provides financial support — with no strings attached — for Syria’s reconstruction. Russia also wants the E.U. to lift all sanctions against Syria and to restore diplomatic relations between Damascus and European capitals.

Returns at this point can be premature — and often dangerous. Syrians have returned to find empty homes, destroyed infrastructure, little power, scarce water and few job opportunities. In government-controlled areas, men under 43 years old still face mandatory conscription into battle. Many Syrians who have fled since the war began have been labeled defectors by the government and could face torture or arrest if they reenter the country. It’s not always possible to confirm who is on the regime’s wanted list ...

Given the strong preference of many European politicians to deter irregular migration at any cost, the strain faced by host countries in caring for Syrian refugees, and Russian political interests, there is a real risk that Syrians will be sent back home prematurely. Not only would that risk undermining Syrian refugees’ physical, legal and material safety, it could also lead to future displacement waves and the further destabilization of Syria.

Read the full article about the Syrian refugee crisis by Willem Staes at News Deeply.