The decision follows significant upheaval in Syria, including the advance and victory of jihadists in Damascus and the forced flight of President Bashar al-Assad, who has sought and been granted asylum in Russia.
Greece: “Monitoring the situation”
A Greek government official, quoted by the Financial Times, explained that the suspension is a temporary measure. “We will wait and see until the dust settles,” the official said, adding that Greece is closely monitoring the situation following Assad’s removal over the weekend.
Greece, as the primary gateway to the European Union for Syrian refugees arriving via Turkey—particularly through its maritime borders—has been at the forefront of managing the refugee influx.
Austria: Preparing for repatriation
Austria has also announced the suspension of asylum applications from Syrian nationals. The Austrian Interior Ministry stated that it would review previously granted asylum cases following Assad’s fall.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said: “In this context, I have instructed the ministry to prepare a program for smooth repatriation and deportation to Syria.”
Austria currently has 12,900 pending asylum applications from Syrian nationals and 7,300 new applications under consideration.
Germany: Largest host country also halts applications
Germany, which hosts nearly one million Syrian refugees—making it the largest host country for Syrians in the EU—has similarly decided to suspend asylum application processing for Syrians.
The German Interior Ministry reported that applications from more than 47,000 people are now “frozen” as the government waits for greater clarity on Syria’s situation. For now, Syrian applications have been deprioritised, with other asylum cases taking precedence.
The CDU (Christian Democratic Union of Germany) has called for incentives to encourage Syrian refugees to return home. However, the Social Democrats and Greens have expressed caution, warning that it is too early to deem Syria safe for repatriation.
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