Russia has begun offering asylum and humanitarian protection to individuals linked to Syria’s former regime, raising questions about Moscow’s long-term strategy in the region following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Russian diplomatic sources confirmed that dozens of Syrians, including those previously stationed at the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia, have been relocated to the Perm region in central Russia. The move was described as a humanitarian gesture, citing “health reasons,” although analysts note the political overtones.
“This is a step that clearly has political implications,” a Russian diplomat told Asharq Al-Awsat, while insisting the evacuees are not high-ranking regime officials or military figures. Russian authorities have provided temporary housing, food, and medical care for the group, which includes women and children. Local officials are reportedly helping them integrate and find jobs.
At the center of growing speculation is Bashar al-Jaafari, Syria’s longtime ambassador to Russia and former envoy to the UN. Multiple media reports, including by Russia’s TASS news agency, claimed Jaafari had requested asylum. Though Jaafari, 69, publicly denied the reports in a statement to Sputnik, he has yet to return to Damascus despite being officially recalled and replaced in a recent diplomatic reshuffle.
Jaafari has close family in Moscow, where both his son and daughter live and work. Sources say he is also managing ongoing health issues, which may complicate travel or reassignment. Russian officials, when asked, did not confirm whether an asylum request had been filed but indicated it would be considered if submitted.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry recently announced that both Jaafari and Syria’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ayman Sousan, had been transferred to the central administration as part of broader diplomatic changes. However, the Syrian Embassy in Moscow briefly published a message suggesting Jaafari’s departure, before deleting it, further fueling speculation about his status.
Jaafari’s decades-long career included serving as Syria’s representative to the UN in New York, where he fiercely defended Assad’s policies during the country’s 14-year revolution. He later became deputy foreign minister before his ambassadorship in Moscow.
Russia has rarely served as a destination for Syrian refugees despite its military involvement in the conflict. But following the Assad’s fall and rising instability along the Syrian coast, Moscow appears to be offering discreet sanctuary to a select group of former regime affiliates. Recent reports indicate Hmeimim airbase sheltered up to 9,000 people during the final months of Assad’s rule.
Observers say the arrivals and Jaafari’s situation reflect Moscow’s attempts to manage the post-Assad transition without undermining its strategic foothold in Syria.
