Germany, Austria Halt Syrian Asylum Applications After Assad Regime Fall
Germany and Austria have suspended all pending asylum applications from Syrian nationals following the swift collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime over the weekend, Bloomberg reports.
This marks the strongest initial European response to the dramatic shift in the Syrian conflict.
A spokesperson for Germany’s Interior Ministry announced on Monday that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has halted processing of all Syrian asylum requests. The spokesperson cited the highly volatile situation on the ground, questioning the feasibility of returns to Syria in the foreseeable future, even for those already granted asylum (typically a three-year status).
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasized the current uncertainty in Syria, making predictions about repatriation difficult. She stated that any reassessment of the protection status of Syrian refugees in Germany will depend heavily on future developments. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson added that the German government will be closely observing HTS’s treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in the coming weeks to assess the group’s actions.
Austria has taken a similar stance, with the Interior Ministry announcing a suspension of all Syrian asylum applications pending a reevaluation of the situation. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner has instructed his ministry to prepare plans for potential repatriations and deportations. Chancellor Karl Nehammer, facing pressure from the anti-immigrant Freedom Party, has pledged to curb immigration.
The decisions by Germany and Austria have significant implications, given that these two countries host a substantial portion of the over one million Syrian asylum-seekers and refugees in Europe, with Germany alone accounting for roughly 60% of that number. An EU spokesperson stated that it is premature to assess the broader migratory impact of the developments in Syria. Austria currently has some 13,000 pending Syrian asylum applications.
