Approximately 900,000 Syrian nationals reside in Germany, while around 95,000 Syrian citizens were reported to be living in Austria at the start of 2024. Also, as of the end of November, there were approximately 13,000 asylum applications pending review.
But now it looks like the Syrian refugee saga has come to an abrupt halt, at least in Germany and Austria, due to a recent regime change in the Middle Eastern country.
Local news reports indicate that Germany, which is recognized as the third largest host country globally and the leading destination for Syrian refugees in the EU, has ceased the processing of refugee applications submitted by Syrian nationals, awaiting an evaluation of the security conditions in Syria following the ousting of the Assad regime by armed opposition forces.
Under normal circumstances, Syrian refugees who have a right to family reunification or who fulfill the requirements for any other long-term residence permit – for example for university studies or employment – may apply and receive an entry visa and may then legally travel to Germany.
Today, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in Berlin has issued a directive to suspend decisions on applications from Syrian asylum seekers. This action is expected to influence more than 47,000 pending applications, though it will not alter any previously made decisions.
Numerous Syrian opposition factions took control of Damascus yesterday after a rapid advance throughout the nation. The Syrian Army scattered, and former dictator Bashar Assad, along with his family, has fled to Russia.
The political landscape in Syria remains uncertain, making it challenging to forecast future developments, according to a spokesperson for the German migration service. Any decisions made prior to a thorough evaluation would be “on shaky ground.”
“The BAMF conducts a meticulous review of each individual case, which includes an analysis of the current conditions in the country of origin,” the Interior Ministry’s spokesperson said during a press briefing in Berlin.
In a related development, Austria declared on Monday that it would halt all current asylum applications from Syrian citizens, with the Interior Ministry stating that it will make arrangements for “orderly repatriations and deportations.”
“Chancellor Karl Nehammer today instructed Interior Minister Gerhard Karner to suspend all current Syrian asylum applications and to review all cases in which asylum was granted,” the statement issued by Austria’s Ministry of the Interior said.
In his yesterday’s post on X (former Twitter), Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer wrote that Austrian government will support all Syrians who have found refuge in Austria and want to return to their homeland, adding that the security conditions in Syria should be re-evaluated “in order to make deportations possible again in the future.”
According to the experts, the situation in Damascus may also have repercussions for the Syrian diaspora within the European Union (EU) in general, and not just in Austria and Germany.
