A number of European countries, including the United Kingdom, have temporarily halted the processing of asylum applications for Syrian nationals following the recent political changes in Syria. In Germany, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has suspended the processing of Syrian asylum applications, affecting around 47,270 pending cases. However, those already granted asylum remain unaffected.
Germany hosts the largest population of Syrians in Europe, with approximately one million residing there, including about 700,000 classified as refugees. Most are on welfare, and a number have perpetrated terrorist attacks, including a recent mass stabbing at a “Festival of Diversity.”
Neighboring Austria’s interim government has ceased considering new Syrian asylum claims and is evaluating plans to either repatriate or deport individuals back to Syria. France and Greece have similarly paused their asylum decision-making processes.
In the Middle East, thousands of Syrians are said to be returning from exile in Lebanon and Jordan. However, reports from the Lebanese border indicate this traffic is not just one way, with some Syrians seeking entry into Lebanon. The incoming regime is dominated by Sunni jihadists, principally Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda branch.
Alawites, an offshoot of Shia Islam, were the country’s dominant demographic and may attempt to flee possible reprisals alongside Christians, Druze, and other minorities that Sunni jihadists have badly mistreated at various times during the country’s civil war.
Days prior to the jihadists’ capture of Damascus, the United Nations estimated this new phase in the Syrian war could prompt up to 1.5 million more people to leave the country.
