Prague, Dec 11: Several European countries have announced the suspension of asylum processes for Syrian nationals in light of the political developments in Syria following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad government.

The Dutch government has imposed a six-month freeze on decisions regarding asylum applications from Syrians, the country's Asylum and Migration Minister Marjolein Faber stated in a letter to the House of Representatives on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Faber explained that the uncertainty surrounding the situation in Syria after the fall of the al-Assad regime made it difficult to evaluate asylum applications accurately.

In Belgium, the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons has also temporarily suspended the processing of asylum applications from Syrian citizens. Scheduled personal interviews will be canceled, and ongoing reviews of applications are on hold. According to the office, this suspension aims to allow a more precise evaluation of the risks faced by applicants in the event of their return to Syria.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer instructed the country's Interior Ministry on Monday to halt all ongoing Syrian asylum applications and review previously granted asylum cases. Family reunifications for Syrians in Austria have also been suspended, according to Austrian broadcaster ORF. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced plans to prepare a repatriation and deportation program for Syrians.

In the Czech Republic, Interior Minister Vit Rakusan told the Czech News Agency that the country had ceased processing asylum applications from Syrians as of Sunday due to the evolving situation.

"This is a common procedure in situations where there are significant changes in the situation in the country," Rakusan explained.

Malta has similarly paused the examination and processing of both new and existing asylum applications from Syrian nationals, while countries such as France and Greece are reportedly considering similar measures.

France's Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (Ofpra) said on Monday that it is closely monitoring the developments in Syria. "In cases where the situation in an asylum seeker's country of origin changes, this may lead to a temporary suspension of decisions on asylum applications from Syrian nationals, depending on the specific circumstances," Ofpra stated.

In 2023, 4,465 asylum applications were submitted to Ofpra by Syrian nationals, with around 2,500 more submitted in 2024 so far.

In Greece, sources at the Migration and Asylum Ministry revealed that decisions on asylum applications from Syrian nationals are expected to be temporarily suspended. The decision, which could impact approximately 9,500 applicants, is set to be finalised later this week.

According to a recent report by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), asylum authorities in the 27 EU member states, along with Norway and Switzerland, received 84,000 asylum applications in September 2024, of which 14,000 were submitted by Syrians.

--IANS

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