
The interim government which took power in Syria after Assad's overthrow by Islamist-led forces has called repeatedly for the sanctions to be lifted. Reuters
Speaking during a visit to Damascus, Grandi said that last month's overthrow of longtime president Bashar al-Assad had created "an opportunity in this country that we haven't had in decades, and I think we need to take it".
During 13 years of civil war sparked by Assad's brutal repression of protests against his rule in 2011, the European Union and the United States imposed successive rounds of sanctions and millions of Syrians fled abroad.
"If sanctions are lifted, this will improve the conditions in the places where people return," Grandi said. "It will be an additional factor to encourage people to return.
"Sanctions were created for another situation. So they have to be reviewed and hopefully lifted. Sanctions are an important obstacle at the moment for the return of refugees."
The interim government which took power in Syria after Assad's overthrow by Islamist-led forces has called repeatedly for the sanctions to be lifted.
But some Western governments have been reluctant, preferring to wait and see if the new leadership delivers on its promises of an inclusive transition.
The jihadist origins of interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) faction have also been a factor.
HTS has its roots in the former Syria branch of Al-Qaeda, although it broke ties with the jihadist network in 2016 and has since sought to soften its image.
Washington has already eased some sanctions on Syria, and the European Union is expected to follow suit when it addresses the issue at its next foreign ministers' meeting on Monday.
The UNHCR says more than 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned home since Assad's overthrow. Millions more remain in neighbouring countries or further afield.
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