Willem Staes (@willemstaes) works as a researcher at Belgian NGO 11.11.11, focusing on the Syria crisis and the situation in Israel/Palestine. Before joining 11.11.11 in 2016, he worked and lived in Turkey, Palestine and Egypt. https://www.newsdeeply.com/refugees/contributor/willem-staes/rss en Laws & Policy Solutions Wed, 12 Dec 2018 06:30:00 +0000 Willem Staes https://www.newsdeeply.com/refugees/community/2018/12/12/european-union-must-reconsider-its-role-in-syrian-returns https://www.newsdeeply.com/refugees/community/2018/12/12/european-union-must-reconsider-its-role-in-syrian-returns Syrian refugees in Lebanon are being used as bargaining chips in a power play by Russia and the Syrian regime that could force them back to Syria prematurely. The E.U. must use its leverage to find a durable solution that protects them, says researcher Willem Staes.