Syrian Alawites Take Refuge in Russia’s Perm Region

A steady flow of Syrian refugees has started to settle in Russia’s Perm region following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad late last year, Russian officials have confirmed.

The people from Syria’s Latakia region, which is where many of the country’s Alawite minority live, have come under increasing attacks by militants close to the new Turkish-backed Sunni regime in Damascus led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has vowed to protect minorities.

Amid the ongoing targeting of Syrian minorities, approximately 150 refugees have arrived in the Perm region from Syria since February, according to local authorities.

Perm regional Human Rights Commissioner Igor Sapko met with refugees at a temporary accommodation center on Thursday.

Sapko said that doctors and teachers would be able to continue their professional activities in the Perm region.

The refugees have received assistance with their documents and undergone medical examinations, Sapko reported on his VKontakte page. Additionally, they were provided with social, legal and psychological support.

He added that the Syrian refugees must have their education credentials verified and obtain personal SIM cards.

Earlier in March, Syrian minorities, including Armenian Christians and Alawites — the religious group to which the Assad regime belonged — were targeted by militants, with more than 1,500 men, women and children killed, according to human rights organizations. 

The new regime in Damascus has attempted to stop sectarian attacks and has arrested some of those who killed Alawites and Christians in recent weeks. But it continues to face a growing threat from other groups, including the Islamic State terrorist group and Israeli troops who continue to occupy the southern areas of the country on the border with Jordan and beyond the Golan Heights. 

This article first appeared in bne IntelliNews.