Syrian refugees in Bonn, Germany, celebrated on December 8, 2024, after Syrian rebels announced the ousting of Bashar Al Assad. — Reuters

Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and several other European countries announced on Monday that they would freeze all pending asylum requests from Syrians, following the ouster of President Bashar Al Assad. While Berlin and other governments monitored the rapidly changing situation in the war-torn nation, Austria indicated it would soon deport refugees back to Syria. Far-right politicians in various countries, including Germany, which hosts Europe's largest Syrian community, echoed similar demands amid heightened immigration debates across the continent.

Alice Weidel, of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, expressed disdain for the mass rallies celebrating Assad's downfall, stating on X, "Anyone in Germany who celebrates 'free Syria' evidently no longer has any reason to flee. They should return to Syria immediately." World leaders and Syrians abroad were stunned over the weekend as Islamist-led rebels took control of Damascus, ending Assad's oppressive rule but also raising new uncertainties.

A German foreign ministry spokesman noted that "the end of the Assad regime unfortunately does not guarantee peaceful developments" in the future. Germany has welcomed nearly one million Syrians, mostly during 2015-16 under former Chancellor Angela Merkel. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said many Syrian refugees "now finally have hope of returning to their Syrian homeland" but cautioned that "the situation in Syria is currently very unclear." The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has imposed a freeze on ongoing asylum procedures "until the situation is clearer." Faeser added that "concrete possibilities of return cannot yet be predicted and it would be unprofessional to speculate in such a volatile situation."

Amnesty International criticized Germany's freeze on asylum decisions, emphasizing that "the human rights situation in the country is completely unclear." The head of the UN refugee agency also urged "patience and vigilance" regarding refugee returns. In Austria, where about 100,000 Syrians reside, conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer instructed the interior ministry "to suspend all ongoing Syrian asylum applications and to review all asylum grants." Interior Minister Gerhard Karner further stated he had "instructed the ministry to prepare an orderly repatriation and deportation programme to Syria." The ministry noted that "the political situation in Syria has changed fundamentally and, above all, rapidly in recent days," adding it is "currently monitoring and analysing the new situation."

The French interior ministry also announced a hold on Syrian asylum requests, with Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway following suit. Britain's interior ministry stated it was taking the same measure "whilst we assess the current situation." Italy, after a cabinet meeting, also suspended asylum requests "in line with other European partners." The leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats, a coalition partner in the government, called for a review of residence permits for Syrian refugees, stating on X, "Destructive Islamist forces are behind the change of power in Syria. I see that groups are happy about this development here in Sweden. You should see it as a good opportunity to go home."

In Greece, a government spokesman expressed hope that Assad's fall would eventually allow "the safe return of Syrian refugees" to their country, though no concrete measures were announced. In Germany, the debate intensified as the country approached February elections. Achim Brotel, president of a grouping of German communes, called for border controls to prevent Assad loyalists from entering Germany. The center-right opposition CDU suggested that rejected Syrian asylum-seekers should lose subsidiary protection. CDU legislator Thorsten Frei stated, "If the reason for protection no longer applies, then refugees will have to return to their home country." CDU MP Jens Spahn proposed that Berlin charter flights to Syria and offer 1,000 euros ($1,057) to "anyone who wants to return." A member of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats criticized the debate as "populist and irresponsible." Greens party deputy Anton Hofreiter also noted that "it is completely unclear what will happen next in Syria" and that deportation talk was "completely out of place."

Many Syrians in Germany watched the events in their homeland with joy but preferred to wait before deciding whether to return. "We want to go back to Syria," said Mahmoud Zaml, 25, who works in an Arabic pastry shop in Berlin, adding that he hopes to help "rebuild" his country. "But we have to wait a bit now," he told AFP. "We have to see what happens and if it is really 100 per cent safe, then we will go back to Syria."

Source link:   https://www.khaleejtimes.com