European countries suspend Syrian asylum applications after Assad's ouster, deportation plans under review

Germany, France, Austria, and several Nordic countries on Monday said they would suspend all pending asylum applications from Syrians, following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad.

While Germany and other nations said they were closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in Syria, Austria hinted at plans to begin deporting refugees back to Syria soon.

Meanwhile, far-right politicians, particularly in Germany — home to Europe’s largest Syrian community — echoed similar calls, as immigration continues to be a divisive issue across the continent.

Alice Weidel, of the anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany, expressed her disapproval of the mass celebrations held by Syrians celebrating Assad’s removal.

“Anyone in Germany who celebrates ‘free Syria’ evidently no longer has any reason to flee,” she wrote on X. “They should return to Syria immediately.”

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World leaders and Syrians abroad watched in disbelief over the weekend as Islamist-led rebels advanced into Damascus, bringing an end to Assad’s brutal rule and ushering in new uncertainty.

A German foreign ministry spokesperson said that “the fall of the Assad regime does not guarantee peaceful developments” in the future.

Germany, which has taken in nearly 1 million Syrians, saw the majority of arrivals between 2015 and 2016 under former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s leadership.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed that many Syrian refugees “now finally have hope of returning to their homeland,” but cautioned that “the situation in Syria remains highly uncertain.”

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The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees announced a suspension of decisions on ongoing asylum cases “until the situation becomes clearer.”

Faeser further stated that “concrete possibilities for return cannot yet be predicted, and it would be unprofessional to speculate in such a volatile situation.”

Amnesty International criticized the suspension of asylum decisions, stressing that the “human rights situation in the country is completely unclear.”

The French interior ministry also confirmed it would freeze asylum applications from Syrians.

‘Repatriation and deportation’

In Austria, where about 100,000 Syrians live, 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 added he had “instructed the ministry to prepare an orderly repatriation and deportation programme to Syria”.

“The political situation in Syria has changed fundamentally and, above all, rapidly in recent days,” the ministry said, adding it is “currently monitoring and analysing the new situation”.

Denmark, Sweden and Norway also said Monday they were suspending the examination of asylum applications from Syrian refugees.

The leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats, a coalition partner in the government, said residence permits for Syrian refugees should now be “reviewed”.

“Destructive Islamist forces are behind the change of power” in Syria, wrote their leader Jimmie Akesson on X.

“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 voiced hope that Assad’s fall will eventually allow “the safe return of Syrian refugees” to their country, but without announcing concrete measures.

‘Populist and irresponsible’

In Germany, the debate gained momentum as the country heads towards February elections.

The centre-right opposition CDU suggested that rejected Syrian asylum-seekers should now lose so-called subsidiary protection.

“If the reason for protection no longer applies, then refugees will have to return to their home country,” CDU legislator Thorsten Frei told Welt TV.

CDU MP Jens Spahn suggested that Berlin charter flights to Syria and offer 1,000 euros to “anyone who wants to return”.

Members of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats criticised the debate as “populist and irresponsible”.

Greens party deputy Anton Hofreiter also said “it is completely unclear what will happen next in Syria” and deportation talk was “completely out of place”.

Many Syrians in Germany have watched the events in their home country with great joy but prefer to wait and see before deciding whether to return home.

“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 percent safe, then we will go back to Syria.”

With inputs from agencies