Italy’s foreign minister warns of new migration crisis in Syria

By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) - Italy’s foreign minister warned of a new migration crisis in Syria amid renewed fighting between the Bashar al-Assad regime forces and armed opposition groups in the country.

“Lebanon is already hosting one million Syrian refugees. The risk here is the emergence of a new migration crisis as the result of an internal conflict that could last long,” Antonio Tajani told reporters on the sidelines of the international humanitarian aid conference for Gaza in Cairo on Monday.

He also warned that this conflict, which directly impacts Lebanon, could also affect Europe.

The opposition forces, engaged in clashes with regime forces for the past six days, have made significant territorial gains, taking control of the regional hub of Aleppo as well as areas south of Idlib province toward regime-held Hama.

*Writing by Nur Asena Ertürk in Ankara