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Hamish Falconer meeting representatives of Syrian civil society, 1 April 2025.

An update on UK sanctions


Amendments lift sectoral sanctions on Syria.

4 MAY 2025
            





In April, the UK Government lifted many of its sectoral sanctions on Syria.

On the 24th of April 2025, Hamish Falconer MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office responsible for the Middle East, issued a press release saying in part, “Today’s updates to UK Syria sanctions regulations will help the people of Syria rebuild their country and economy following the fall of Assad.”

What exactly has happened?

The Secretary of State has made amendments to the UK’s Syria sanctions. These amendments are in a statutory instrument titled The Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, made on the 23rd April 2025, and laid before Parliament on the 24th April 2025 for approval by resolution of each House of Parliament within twenty-eight days beginning with the day on which the instrument was made, and which came into force on the 25th April 2025.

So the changes came into force already on the 25th of April, but still have to be approved by Parliament in the next few weeks.

And what are these changes? The explanatory memorandum accompanying the statutory instrument explains.

Firstly, it clarifies the purpose of sanctions to reflect that the Assad regime came to an end on 8 December 2024, and to “allow the Secretary of State flexibility to introduce new designations and target individuals and entities if there is further oppression of the Syrian people or a return to conflict.”

Most importantly, the statutory instrument “revokes specific sanctions measures on energy, transport (aircraft), financial transactions, trade, and exemptions on financial/credit institutions.”

In detail:

— The prohibition on Syrian aircraft landing in the UK is being removed. This applied to aircraft operated by Syrian Arab Airlines, or aircraft owned, chartered or operated by a person connected with Syria and used exclusively for the provision of air cargo services.

— Prohibitions on financial investment in crude oil and energy production, financial services and financial markets in Syria and the provision of insurance services are revoked.

— Prohibitions on Assad-era bonds remain in force.

— Prohibitions are removed related to the export of aviation fuel and aviation fuel additives, new bank notes and coinage, goods and technology relating to crude oil and natural gas, goods related to electricity production, and to the import of Syrian crude oil and petroleum products.

— Prohibitions continue to apply related to the trade in gold, diamonds and precious metals, and to the provision of interception and monitoring services, the import of military goods and technology, the export of goods and technology relating to chemical and biological weapons, the export of goods and technology relating to internal repression, and the export of goods and technology related to interception and monitoring.


Notes

Press release: UK bolsters support for Syrian people by amending Syria sanctions
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-bolsters-support-for-syrian-people-by-amending-syria-sanctions

Syria sanctions: guidance
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/syria-sanctions-guidance/syria-sanctions-guidance

The Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/507/introduction/made

Explanatory Memorandum to the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/507/pdfs/uksiem_20250507_en_001.pdf

Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/13/contents

Ann Snow, UK Special Representative for Syria, on Syria TV, 1 May 2025
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJH7qsrhJ8i/