European countries temporarily stop accepting asylum applications from Syrians

(CLO) European countries on Monday simultaneously suspended accepting asylum applications from Syrians, after rebels overthrew the government of President Bashar al-Assad after nearly 14 years of civil war.

The decision, which affects tens of thousands of asylum applications still pending, reflects the rapidly changing political situation in Syria, as well as the rise of right-wing parties across Europe keen to curb immigration.

Germany opened its doors to a wave of asylum seekers in 2015 at the height of the Syrian civil war, and is now home to nearly a million Syrians. The German Interior Ministry said on Monday it would not process asylum requests until there was more clarity on political developments in Syria.

Migrants seeking asylum in Berlin, Germany in 2016. Photo: AP

The UK has also paused decisions on asylum claims. Under the UK government’s programme, 20,319 Syrian refugees were resettled in the country between March 2014 and February 2021.

Other countries including Norway, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands have also announced suspensions of Syrian requests. France said it hopes to announce a similar decision soon. Norway's immigration authority said Syrian asylum applications will not be rejected or approved at this time.

Denmark has also suspended processing visa applications and said Syrians whose visa applications had been rejected and given an extension to leave would be allowed to stay longer due to the current unrest.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has instructed the interior minister to suspend all current Syrian asylum applications and family reunifications, and said cases that have already been granted asylum will also be reviewed.

Greece is also expected to suspend asylum applications from around 9,000 Syrians. Officials said the government would meet on Friday to finalise the move.

Germany is preparing for a snap election in February, with far-right and conservative parties leading opinion polls. An Infratest survey released on Friday found that voters see immigration as Germany’s second-biggest problem after the economy.

Syrians have been the top source of asylum seekers in Germany this year, with 72,420 applications submitted by the end of November, according to data from Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). Some 47,270 applications have yet to be decided.

The suspension of applications does not affect those that have already been granted, according to BAMF. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the assessments would depend on developments in Syria and it was too early to say whether the country was safe to return to.

Updating the British Parliament, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned that new developments in Syria could cause more waves of migration into European countries.

Bui Huy (according to AP, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cac-nuoc-chau-au-dong-loat-tam-dung-tiep-nhan-don-xin-ti-nan-cua-nguoi-syria-post324870.html