Several European countries have temporarily suspended asylum applications from Syrians following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the seizure of Damascus by rebel forces.
Germany, which hosts the largest Syrian diaspora in Europe with nearly one million Syrians, was among the first to act. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said that Germany would pause decisions on asylum claims while authorities assess the evolving situation in Syria.
According to Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, Syria was the leading country of origin for asylum seekers in Germany in 2023, with 72,420 applications submitted. More than 47,000 of these cases remain pending.
Other European nations, including the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Greece, Austria, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands, have also implemented similar measures.
The British Home Office confirmed that it has “paused decisions on Syrian asylum claims while assessing the current situation,” adding that all guidance related to asylum requests is under constant review.
In Austria, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner went further, instructing the government to prepare a repatriation and deportation program for Syrians. Karner stated that Austria would also review previously approved asylum cases. Currently, over 100,000 Syrians live in Austria, with 12,871 asylum applications filed in 2023.
Norway’s immigration authorities confirmed that Syrian asylum applications would not be approved or denied during this pause. Denmark, which has previously adopted strict measures on Syrian migration, announced that rejected asylum seekers with pending deportation deadlines would be allowed to remain in the country until the situation stabilizes.
Greece, which has received significant numbers of Syrian refugees since the civil war began in 2011, put a hold on processing approximately 9,000 asylum claims. A senior Greek government official said a final decision on whether to continue processing these applications will be made later in the week. Sweden’s migration agency is also reportedly considering a similar freeze.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and other refugee advocacy groups criticized the asylum freezes as premature. Imogen Sudbery, the IRC’s senior director for Europe advocacy, called on European governments to uphold the principle of safe and voluntary returns, cautioning against hasty policies given the uncertainties in Syria.
Germany’s refugee rights group Pro Asyl echoed this sentiment, arguing that forcing returns now would be irresponsible. Spokesperson Tareq Alaows emphasized that “chaos and violence continue to reign in Syria,” with large portions of the country under the control of armed groups and much of its infrastructure destroyed.
The fall of Assad’s regime marks the end of a 13-year civil war that displaced millions and led to over 600,000 deaths. Since 2015, more than 4.5 million Syrians have sought refuge in Europe.
