is got from this is a fallen dictator filing is got from this is a fallen dictatorfiling for is got from this is a fallen dictator filing for asylum in moscow. he says that he wants to return russia to its imperial glory, but after more than 1000 days, he has not subjugated ukraine, his fake empire stop shortjust a few miles out of donetsk. i have no fear of it, only discussed. 0f fear of it, only discussed. of course madam deputy speaker, our revulsion of assad and his henchmen and those who propped him up, there is not blindness to the risk of this moment. the demise of assad brings no guarantee of peace. this is a moment of danger, as well as opportunity for syrians and for the region. the humanitarian situation in syria is dire. with almost 17 million people in need. millions of refugees, largely still in neighbouring turkey, lebanon and jordan, and

so many are starting to return to syria, positive sign of their hopes for a better future, now that assad is gone, but a lot depends on what happens now. this flow into syria could quickly become a flow back out, and potentially increase the numbers using dangerous, illegal migration routes, to europe and the united kingdom. syria has proven to be a hotbed of extremism. this house will know that the group whose offensive first pushed back the resume, hts, as it is now being called, are also a prescribed terrorist organisation in the uk, as an alias of al-qaeda. that should rightly make us cautious. thus far, hts has offered

reassurances to those in aleppo, hama and damascus. they have committed to cooperate with the international community that is monitoring chemical weapons. we willjudge hts by the actions, monitoring closely how they and other parties to this conflict treat all civilians in the areas they control. the uk and our allies have spent over a decade combating terrorism in syria. daesh remains one of the most significant terrorist threats to the uk. to our allies and our interests overseas. we take seriously our duty as government to protect the public from this and other terrorist threats. i made this uncertainty, the government has three priorities. first and foremost, protecting all civilians, including, of course, minorities. for more than a decade, syria has been

wracked by terrible sectarian violence. we continue to do what we can to provide humanitarian support wherever we can. the uk has spent over £4 billion on the syrian crisis to date. uk funded mobile medical units already provide emergency services across northern syria. last week we gave a further £300,000 to the white helmets. today the prime minister has announced an additional £11 million of humanitarian support for syrians. second, securing an inclusive, negotiated political settlement, as i discussed with the un special envoy for syria yesterday, this is how the syrian people can begin to chart a path to a united and peaceful syria. and finally, providing escalation into the wider region. for more than a year, the middle east has been

in the grip of a series of interlocking conflicts, which threaten to become an ever more catastrophic war, and in syria itself, russia and iran have kept the assad regime on life support. if we are to achieve a better future for syrians, we should let the syrians themselves determine their future. madam deputy speaker, we must learn from this process another lesson also. illicit finance was a fundamental part of assad's playbook, and it is a part of vladimir putin's playbook, linked to criminals around the world. this hurts the ordinary people in syria, drives up crime and it drives up drives up crime and it drives up house prices even the uk and thatis up house prices even the uk and that is why i am announcing £6 million in new funding for the

national crime agency on anti—corruption, and new anti—corruption, and new anti—corruption champion in margaret hodge, and sanctions on those using the illicit gold trade and previous governments have neglected this fight on this critical issue and madam deputy speaker with events moving so quickly the government has been taking every available opportunity to underline our priorities. today, my right honourable friend the prime minister is in the region visiting the uae and saudi arabia. 0ver the region visiting the uae and saudi arabia. over the weekend i discussed the situation with my turkish, israeli, emirati colleagues. studio: david lammy making a statement on syria, describing it as a moment of danger and opportunity. we will say goodbye and to viewers around the world, but for viewers in the world, but for viewers in the uk now, you can watch this.

assad's victims can be found all over the world. many have found sanctuary here and the uk over the years. including a film—maker who said, there is now hope for syrians to get their country back. uk stands by syrians like that, by assad's victims across the world, in the face of the uncertainty and new changes, we will secure the uk against terrorism and illegal migration whilst helping syrians to achieve a betterfuture. i commend this statement to the house. . house. priti patel. i am grateful _ house. priti patel. i am grateful to _ house. priti patel. i am grateful to the - house. priti patel. i am grateful to the foreign | grateful to the foreign secretary for his statement. few will shed any tears for the removal of this vile tyrant from office. he bears

responsibility for countless deaths, torture of his opponents, the use of chemical weapons and repression on an horrendous scale. half a million people have died as a result of his apparent actions in this conflict. we'll remember the shocking images of the impact of this conflict and the impact of this conflict and the debates in this house, including the decision of the west to respond to chemical weapons attacks, which weigh heavily on our conscience. while assad may have sought sanctuary in russia, we looked at the foreign secretary to explain what steps he will take to gather evidence of the crimes is reprehensible regimes is responsible for, and the actions being taken to bring him to facejustice, actions being taken to bring him to face justice, and actions being taken to bring him to facejustice, and in view of the situation in syria, i would like to ask the foreign secretary what the government assessment is of the syrian resettlement programme and can he confirm that despite assad being to russia to claim asylum, there will be no asylum

claims from former members of the assad regime in this country, many of whom would be associated with human rights abuses. madam deputy speaker, what happens next, as the foreign secretary has said, is critically important for the civilians of syria who have endured so much trauma, and for the wider region. syrians need to be protected by those now controlling the territory and back now means the protection of all communities, groups and minorities. the house must speak with one voice on that, and some will ask what the uk can do, and what should be or should we not do. there are no easy answers in the days ahead. but i say that it is profoundly in our national interest that we take whatever action we can, including with our partners, to help counter any further instability in syria. like ministers i was in the region this weekend discussing the situation with our key and crucial partners, with large,

porous borders and the flood of weapons in the region, can the foreign secretary give details of the work being undertaken to strengthen and secure the borders of neighbouring countries, as there is a knibb —— significant risk of a power vacuum in syria which could lead to a breakdown of law and order and the proliferation of criminal activities including the smuggling of weapons and drug production on an industrial scale, so can the foreign secretary give an update on the actions being taken to monitor and respond to these communal activities, can he also comment on the risk to our security from foreign terrorist fighters being freed from prisons, and can he give it an assessment of the risk of the state's weapons including potential chemical weapons falling into the control of those who would cause us harm, and threaten our security? instability can fuel a rise in extremism, not only in syria, there is a risk that isis will seek to exploit the present situation, but at home this is

also an issue so, can the foreign secretary inform the house as to whether a cross government review of the security and defence implications and the implications and the implications for terrorism risks is under way, and of course, to what level can he share, and i appreciate this might not be fully in this house, what discussions are under way with intelligence partners to counter extremists and security threats from the region itself? hts's historic links to al-qaeda and their ideology is well known, so can the foreign secretary give a timetable for the reported review of hts, and share the details of the legal mechanism used for that review, and can you give assurances that the government, with its partners, will consider the potential threat hts poses immediately before syria and the region as well as our own interests? security consideration should always be the number one consideration for us all, i'd be should not forget what this

group originally came from. we need to be looking notjust that their words but that their actions, and for years, the assad regime has been bailed out by the russians, iranians and hezbollah, but russia now focusing on ukraine and with 1517 00:11:1