Current:Home > MarketsEU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back -FinanceCore
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
View
Date:2025-04-15 20:14:44
BRUSSELS (AP) — Some European Union countries on Thursday doubled down on their decision to rapidly halt asylum procedures for Syrian migrants in Europe, but said that it was too early to consider sending any of the hundreds of thousands of people who have fled since 2011 back home.
Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Finland, Ireland, Sweden and non-EU country Norway suspended asylum applicationsfrom Syrians in the wake of Bashar Assad’s fall. France is weighing whether to take similar action, at least until Syria’s new leadership and security conditions become clearer.
The decisions do not mean that Syrian asylum-seekers will be deported. The EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, has said that currently “the conditions are not met for safe, voluntary, dignified returns to Syria.”
“We need to wait a few more days to see where Syria is heading now,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said. “What is the situation? What about the protection of minorities? What about the protection of the people? And then, of course, there could be repatriation.”
Asked by reporters whether it would make sense to organize repatriations at an EU level, Faeser said “it would be very expedient to organize this together.”
But she stressed that Syrians who work in Germany and abide by its laws are welcome to stay. Over 47,000 asylum claims by Syriansare pending in Germany, a main destination in Europe for those who have fled since 2011.
“This is not a long term pause as far as I’m concerned,” Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee told reporters. “It’s really positive that the Assad regime has come to an end. At the same time, we can all see that it’s not clear what will happen next.”
The arrival in Europe in 2015 of well over 1 million refugees –- most fleeing the conflict in Syria –- sparked one of the EU’s biggest political crises as nations bickered over who should host them and whether other countries should be forced to help. Those tensions remain even today.
Almost 14,000 Syrians applied for international protection in Europe this year up to September, according to the EU’s asylum agency. Around 183,000 Syrians applied for asylum in all of last year. On average, around one in three applications are accepted.
Already on Monday, despite deep uncertainty about the country’s future, hundreds of Syrian refugees gathered at two border crossings in southern Turkey, eagerly anticipating their return home following the fall of Bashar Assad’s government.
In the days since Assad’s abrupt fall, rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has sought to reassure Syrians that the group he leads — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS – does not seek to dominate the country and will continue government services.
HTS appears on the EU’s anti-terrorism sanctions list as an affiliate of Al-Qaeda. That freezes any assets it has in Europe and prevents European citizens and companies from doing business with the group or funding it. Al-Golani is subject to a travel ban and asset freeze.
Belgium’s interior ministry said Thursday that the whole of the 27-nation EU must monitor Syrian migration flows, amid concern that Assad loyalists might seek refuge in Europe.
It said that around 100 of its nationals are in Syria, and that intelligence services believe that eight of them might have links to HTS.
On Tuesday, the EU’s top diplomat expressed concern that Syria might violently fall apart like neighboring Iraq, or Libya and Afghanistan if its territorial integrity and the rights of minorities are not protected.
“The transition will present huge challenges in Syria and in the region,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told European lawmakers during a special hearing.
The U.N.’s refugee agency has called for “patience and vigilance” in the treatment of Syrians who have sought international protection, and believes that much will depend on whether Syria’s new leaders are prepared to respect law and order.
___
Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
veryGood! (37416)
Related
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Michael Oher's Conservatorship With Tuohy Family Officially Terminated
- DOJ charges IRS consultant with allegedly leaking wealthy individuals' tax info
- Burglar recalls Bling Ring's first hit at Paris Hilton's home in exclusive 'Ringleader' clip
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Watch livestream: Police give update on arrest of Duane Davis in Tupac Shakur's killing
- Taylor Swift Effect boosts ticket sales for upcoming Chiefs-Jets game
- NBA suspends former Spurs guard Joshua Primo for 4 games for exposing himself to women
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Illinois semitruck accident kills 1, injures 5 and prompts ammonia leak evacuation
Ranking
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Looming shutdown rattles families who rely on Head Start program for disadvantaged children
- Unbeaten Syracuse has chance to get off to 5-0 start in hosting slumping ACC rival Clemson
- Disney Plus announces crackdown on password sharing in Canada
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Thousands of cantaloupes recalled over salmonella concerns
- Arizona’s governor didn’t ‘mysteriously’ step down. She was in DC less than a day and is back now
- Man accused of locking a woman in a cell in Oregon faces rape, kidnapping charges in earlier case
Recommendation
Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
New York flooding live updates: Heavy rains create chaos, bring state of emergency to NYC
North Macedonia national park’s rising bear population poses a threat to residents
Former Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris remains enrolled at KU amid rape charge
Travis Hunter, the 2
Man accused of locking a woman in a cell in Oregon faces rape, kidnapping charges in earlier case
Republican presidential candidates use TikTok and Taylor Swift to compete for young voters
Sea lion escapes from Central Park Zoo pool amid severe New York City flooding