The Syrian Minister of Information, Omran al-Zoubi, says that the refugees from his country primarily come from areas that have been taken over by enemies of dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Al-Zoubi blamed the European countries "who sent terrorists to Syria" and placed sanctions on the country for the current refugee crisis.
Despite the minister's comments, international estimates find that about 80 percent of Syrian asylum seekers claim they are fleeing Assad's forces.