Asma al-Assad barred from UK for cancer treatment after passport expired

Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of ousted Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad, has been effectively barred from returning to the UK after her British passport expired, local media reported.

Without a valid passport, she cannot return to her hometown of London, according to the Sunday Times. Earlier this month, Moscow confirmed that the al-Assads had fled Damascus and were granted asylum in Russia, though their exact location remains unknown.

Reports suggest Asma is in critical condition due to leukemia, with only a 50-50 chance of survival.

Her father, Fawaz Akhras, a prominent cardiologist, left his post at a Harley Street clinic in London to care for her full-time in Moscow, where she fled before the collapse of the Syrian regime, according to the report.

It is unclear whether UK officials deliberately blocked her from renewing her passport when it expired in September 2020 or if she allowed it to lapse voluntarily.

UK government stance

Government sources confirmed that Asma al-Assad no longer holds a valid British travel document, and Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, will not allow her entry to the UK due to health concerns.

David Lammy, the foreign secretary, had previously told MPs that Asma, a former investment banker, is “not welcome here.”

Her expired passport has also removed the need for the UK government to consider revoking her citizenship, the report noted.

In 2012, Asma al-Assad was subjected to UK and EU sanctions, which included an asset freeze and travel ban, following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.

Bashar Assad in Russia

Bashar al-Assad, who led Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia with his family after anti-regime groups seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s rule, which had lasted since 1963.

The regime’s downfall followed a rapid offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), capturing key cities in less than two weeks.