The report has been cited by Danish authorities in deeming Syrian capital Damascus and its surrounding region safe for the return of some refugees.

The Nordic country has so far withdrawn the asylum status of at least 94 Syrians and is reviewing the cases of hundreds more. No other country in Europe has taken the position that anywhere in Syria is safe for the return of refugees.

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Denmark’s judgement that Damascus and the surrounding area are safe for return is based heavily on reports produced under the auspices of the Danish Immigration Service.

Eight out of twelve expert sources used by the Danish government in its latest report (from October 2020) of the security situation in Syria earlier this week went public to distance themselves from the conclusions of the final report. A further three of those sources have since joined the others in rejecting it.

The only remaining source not to have rejected the report is a general in dictator Bashar al-Assad’s military, newspaper BT reports.

“We condemn Denmark’s decision to send Syrian refugees back on the assumption that Syria is now safe,” Rami Abdurrahman, founder of NGO Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said according to B.T.

In addition to Abdurrahman, Syria Direct journalist Walid Al Nofal and organisation Syrian Network For Human Rights joined the eight other analysts, researchers and experts who have already publicly rejected the conclusion of the report.

That leaves only General Naji Numeir, the head of the immigration authority in Assad’s regime, as the only source now to back the view that Syrian refugees in Denmark do not risk arrest, persecution or torture if they return to the Middle Eastern country.

Danish immigration minister Mattias Tesfaye said on Tuesday that he retains confidence in authorities’ assessment of the security situation in Syria.

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