As a result of the Syrian Civil War, in March 2012 she was placed on a list of Syrian government figures who were subject to European Union economic sanctions and travel bans.[3] On 28 September 2012, it was reported that Bushra al-Assad had fled Syria with her five children to seek refuge in the United Arab Emirates.[4] In January 2013, Bushra al-Assad was joined by her mother Anisa Makhlouf in Dubai.[5]