Current:Home > StocksEU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back -EverVision Finance
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
View
Date:2025-04-12 17:46:17
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! (19887)
Related
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- NYPD celebrates members of Hispanic heritage
- Will Smith Reacts to Estranged Wife Jada Pinkett Smith's Bombshell Memoir
- Pete Davidson talks on 'SNL' about Israel-Hamas war and losing his dad on 9/11
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Kris Jenner Shopped Babylist for Kourtney Kardashian's Baby Registry: See Her Picks!
- What is direct indexing? How you can use it to avoid taxes like the super-rich
- Urban battle from past Gaza war offers glimpse of what an Israeli ground offensive might look like
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- 15 TikTok Viral Problem-Solving Products That Actually Work
Ranking
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Cricket’s Olympic return draws an enthusiastic response from around the world
- What is certain in life? Death, taxes — and a new book by John Grisham
- What is saffron? A beneficial, tasty, and pricey spice
- Trump's 'stop
- Boyfriend arrested after Northern California sheriff’s deputy found dead at her home
- Trump sues ex-British spy over dossier containing ‘shocking and scandalous claims’
- North Side High School's mariachi program honors its Hispanic roots through music
Recommendation
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
French authorities say school where teacher was fatally stabbed last week evacuated over bomb alert
Will Smith Reacts to Estranged Wife Jada Pinkett Smith's Bombshell Memoir
What is saffron? A beneficial, tasty, and pricey spice
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
Several earthquakes shake far north coast region of California but no harm reported
Threats in U.S. rising after Hamas attack on Israel, says FBI Director Christopher Wray
Man United Sale: Ratcliffe bid, Sheikh Jassim withdrawing, Glazers could remain in control