Eve Geddie, director of Amnesty International’s European office, said in response to the decision by many European governments to suspend asylum applications from Syrians after President Bashar Assad stepped down:
“The situation in Syria is extremely unstable. Five years of brutality and repression cannot be undone overnight. But European governments immediately halted Syrians’ asylum applications.
“In this moment of turmoil and change, countries should avoid plunging Syrian refugees and asylum seekers into further uncertainty and instability. Instead, asylum seekers’ safety and agency must be at the heart of decision-making, rather than being driven by the current situation. Sacrifice of the fervent anti-refugee politics sweeping Europe.
“In accordance with international law and standards for refugee protection, asylum applications must be processed promptly and efficiently. European countries must also continue to consider the individual circumstances of each asylum seeker on a case-by-case basis. They must immediately reverse their decision to suspend Syrians’ asylum applications and reject them Calls to repatriate Syrians or limit family reunification.
background
In a statement broadcast live on Syrian state television on December 8, 2024, opposition forces claimed to have ended the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and released political prisoners. Amnesty International called on the opposition to break away from the violence of its past.
Shortly after President Assad was ousted, European countries including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom announced that they would review their operations in light of these developments. Asylum practices, mainly: considering or enacting a moratorium on processing asylum applications from Syrians.
So far, there is little reliable information about the security situation in Syria, and it is unclear which armed groups control different towns along the border and how they will manage the territory they occupy. Reported attacks by Israel, the United States and Türkiye in Syria, as well as fighting involving armed groups, threaten to further endanger civilians.
