Thousands are lining up to flee Syria as ethnic minorities fear a post-Assad future

Thousands of Syrians are stranded at the Masnaa border crossing with Lebanon, trying to flee the country fearing for their future after Islamist rebel groups toppled Bashar al-Assad’s brutal regime.

Minority groups in Syria, including Christians and Alawites, are among those concerned that the future of the new Syria may be intolerant of their communities, many of which rejected the 2011 revolution and the 13-year civil war that followed.

The Masnaa border point – the only functioning border crossing between Syria and Lebanon – was swamped by huge queues of Syrians trying to travel in both directions, with many hoping to return to a liberated homeland after years of displacement in Lebanon.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is reportedly considering setting up a camp along the Lebanese-Syrian border for displaced Syrians stuck trying to cross the border. The Independent has contacted a UNHCR spokesperson for further information.

In a UNHCR update, the organization said it was “aware that thousands of Syrians are fleeing Syria to Lebanon” and that “hundreds of thousands” of Syrians are “fleeing for their lives in the country.”

a security source said Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the influx of people trying to leave Syria includes Iranians and Iraqis – but most come from Syrian minority groups. This comes despite promises from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the rebel group that toppled Assad – that all Syrian citizens, including its minorities, will live in safety.

But minorities who have lived for years in fear of Assad and rebel alternatives have little choice but to flee in an impending period of great uncertainty and chaos.

The Alawites, from whom the Assad family comes, are the largest Muslim minority in Syria. They make up about 10 percent of the population and are mostly native to Syria’s coastal provinces. The Assad family has long relied on the Alawites, who have held many senior positions in the regime since they came to power in 1970.

Many reports indicate that the Assad regime disproportionately called them up for military service in the earlier years of the war. Conflicting estimates all suggest that at least tens of thousands of Alawites were killed in the conflict.

While Alawite communities disproportionately occupy key positions in the regime, they are also among the poorest in Syria. An Alawite dentist told it The times that it was akin to an “army of slaves,” with many living in the belief that “if we leave him (Assad), we will die.”

Christians in Syria, one of the world’s oldest Christian communities and concentrated in areas similar to the Alawites, also live in fear of an “uncertain and dangerous future,” according to Jeff, president of human rights group International Christian Concern. King.

“The coming days and weeks will be crucial to the fate of the Christian community,” Mr King added Christian contribution. “Christians, whose roots stretch back nearly two millennia, now face an uncertain and dangerous future.”

HTS has tried to make the right noises as its control over Syria is not yet consolidated. This prevented damage to Christmas decorations and other religious buildings and monuments, with one Christian telling AFP the rebels’ behavior was “completely different than we expected”.

The international community, including the United States, has called on Syria’s new leaders to respect the rights of ethnic minorities, but their long-term approach toward minority groups remains to be seen.