SYRIAN LAW 10; Congressional Record Vol. 164, No. 121

<!-- -->

SYRIAN LAW 10

(Mr. SESSIONS asked and was given permission to address the House for

1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the

pressing issue that has the potential to exponentially worsen the

humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country of Syria.

I know I don't need to remind this body or the American people of the

dire circumstance that the Syrian people face as their country

continues to be ripped apart by a known war criminal, their President,

Bashar al-Assad.

While millions of Syrians have fled the country, seeking asylum and

safety in neighboring countries, the majority of these refugees' only

hope is to one day return back to their home. However, the Syrian

regime recently passed a law that will make that nearly impossible.

Law 10, passed in April of this year, forces all Syrians, regardless

of where they are currently residing, to register and provide proof of

ownership of their private properties in Syria within 30 days, or else

they will be forced to hand their properties over to the state of

Syria. This amounts to a massive land grab by the corrupt Syrian regime

that would essentially push out the nearly 13 million displaced Syrians

and ensure that they never have a chance to return home.

Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that this body will understand this and we

will speak loudly.

I urge my colleagues and this administration to take a serious and

critical look at this law that would have far-reaching implications for

the United States and our allies who have offered these refugees

temporary asylum in our nations and the disastrous consequences for the

Syrian people for generations to come.

&nbsp;