A meeting which probably would have focused on the refugee crisis was cancelled at the last minute due to “concrete warnings by German security authorities of a terrorist threat.”
Germany’s Nancy Faeser had planned to visit Damascus with Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner, and a German military plane was supposed to fly Faeser’s delegation into Syria from Jordan on Thursday morning, March 27, 2025.
But her ministry said that the trip was canceled before the flight could depart from Amman. It added that a threat to the delegation could not be ruled out, and that it would not have been responsible to travel in view of that possible threat.
Germany in particular has been a major destination for Syrian refugees over the past decade.
Rebuilding Syria
One reason so many Syrian immigrants seek refuge in Germany and other European countries is that, quite frankly, Syria is a mess, and not just economically and politically. The country is war-torn in every sense of the word.
First, let’s touch on the economic and political issues, which indirectly affect the contractors still working in Syria.
Recently, a round of hyperinflation triggered by U.S. sanctions made the currency almost worthless. So, the country had no money to rebuild the infrastructure that years of fighting had turned into rubble. As a result, there is now more rebuilding work for contractors to do.
Politically, the U.S.-sponsored efforts to oust longtime military strongman Bashar Assad finally succeeded, as he is now living in exile in Russia. However, since the country is in such bad shape, leading it is a daunting job that no one really wants. So, unless things change quickly, the next military dictatorship is just around the corner.
For the purposes of this post, we will focus on the physical rebuilding of Syria. Many larger cities, such as Aleppo, changed hands several times during the decade-plus Syrian Civil War. The fighting destroyed transportation, communication, and power infrastructure. The same thing happened to many schools, hospitals, and public buildings.
Until this infrastructure and these facilities are restored, the flow of refugees from Syria to Europe will continue. Reconstruction will not only halt that flow. It will probably reverse it. When Syria is secure and life returns to normal, most refugees will return home.
Contractors largely make those things happen. Construction contractors manage these projects and ensure they are completed on time and under budget. Security contractors protect these projects against lingering insurgents and would-be saboteurs.
Contactor Injuries
Construction contractors may not carry machine guns and go into combat, but the risk of serious injury is still significant. Common construction injuries include:
- Falls: Adequate safety rails, safety harnesses, and other such equipment can all but eliminate falls from a height at construction sites, but such equipment is rare in overseas countries. A fall from as little as four stories above ground is normally fatal.
- Electrocutions: Contact with a live wire often causes falls. The arc blast throws victims through the air. Alternatively, the electrical surge may trigger an involuntary muscle contraction in the hand (the “no let go” response). If that happens, the victim is continually exposed to energy that’s hotter than the sun’s surface temperature.
- Motor Vehicle Crashes: Especially at foreign construction sites, operators with little or no experience often drive dump trucks, cement mixers, and other large commercial vehicles. Their inexperience, along with the buzz of activity at most construction sites, is a recipe for pedestrian collisions.
Many foreign countries, like Syria, have very few workplace safety laws. Officials normally do not enforce the few laws that are on the books.
Injury Compensation Available
The financial stress of an illness or injury exacerbates the physical stress. Instead of focusing on getting better, injured contractors worry about money. Furthermore, if their lost wages are not replaced, they may return to work sooner than they should.
So, the Defense Base Act’s lost wage replacement benefit may be the most important DBA financial benefit. This benefit has four different forms:
- Temporary Total Disability: Most injured contractors cannot work until their injuries or illnesses heal. So, the Defense Base Act pays two-thirds of the victim’s average weekly wage (AWW) for the duration of that temporary disability. The benefit usually continues during physical therapy and other ancillary medical treatment.
- Temporary Partial Disability: Sometimes, victims can work part-time or accept light-duty assignments during physical therapy or in the late stages of medical recovery. These assignments usually pay significantly less than their regular jobs. So, the DBA pays two-thirds of the difference between the victim’s old and new incomes.
- Permanent Partial Disability: Some victims cannot work full time even after they fully recover from their injuries. If they must permanently work part-time or light-duty assignments, the DBA pays two-thirds of the difference between their projected future income and their pre-illness or injury projected future income.
- Permanent Total Disability: Some victims cannot work at all after an illness or injury. Basically, a permanent disability is a permanent impairment of an important everyday function that makes employment impossible. Once again, the DBA pays two-thirds of the difference between projected previous income and projected future income.
A Defense Base Act lawyer can obtain 100% benefits even if the victim was partially responsible for, or entirely responsible for, the illness or injury. 100% benefits are also available if a pre-existing condition contributed to the risk and/or severity of the illness or injury.
For more information about other DBA benefits, contact Barnett, Lerner, Karsen, Frankel & Castro, P.A.