The recent moves to alter asylum policies across Europe come amid a surge in popularity of far-right, anti-immigration parties within the European Union. Notably, Germany is set to face snap elections in February, with far-right parties gaining significant traction in public opinion polls.
In Syria, decades of Assad family rule—established after a 1970 coup—came to an end in just under 10 days due to rebel forces. Since Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s violent crackdown on protests during the Arab Spring in 2011, which sparked a long and bloody civil war, over 4.5 million Syrians have sought refuge in Europe. The conflict has claimed 600,000 lives.
Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) announced it is freezing asylum applications for more than 47,000 Syrian nationals. A BAMF spokesperson confirmed the decision to German media. Data from BAMF shows that Syria was the leading country of origin for asylum seekers in Germany this year.
Similarly, Greece has suspended the processing of 9,000 Syrian asylum applications. A senior government official, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the issue, told POLITICO that a final decision on whether to halt Syrian asylum applications altogether will be made on Friday.
Belgium has also joined these efforts, putting over 3,000 Syrian asylum applications on hold. “We decided today to stop handling Syrian asylum applications for the time being,” stated a spokesperson for the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS).
These measures reveal a broader European response to the shifting political landscape and mounting pressures surrounding migration issues.
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