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Calls are mounting for the UK government to resume processing Syrian asylum applications, with more than 7,000 individuals in a state of uncertainty. Decisions on Syrian asylum claims were paused in December following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, leaving Syrians in the UK unsure of when their claims will be evaluated. Charities like the Refugee Council are advocating for a case-by-case review of claims to prevent people from being stuck in an indefinite limbo.
The government justified the decision to pause asylum claims by citing the lack of stable, objective information to assess the risk of individuals returning to Syria, emphasizing that the policy will be continually reviewed. As of March, over 7,000 Syrians were awaiting an initial decision on their asylum claims. Despite HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa being appointed as Syria’s interim president earlier in the year, the situation in the country remains precarious, with the UK still designating HTS as a terrorist organization.
The Conservatives suggested that most Syrian asylum claims were connected to the threat posed by Assad’s regime, hinting that individuals could return once the situation was deemed secure. However, the chairman of the Syrian British Consortium, Haytham Alhamwi, pointed out that many Syrians left due to concerns beyond Assad’s rule, highlighting the ongoing desire for democratic change and the lack of guaranteed safety. While the number of Syrian asylum claims decreased significantly following the pause in decisions, there were still instances of Syrians arriving in the UK via small boats in the first quarter of the year.
Individuals seeking asylum in the UK are typically not permitted to work while their cases are being processed, relying on government-funded accommodation and financial support. This arrangement is not only prolonging the uncertainty for Syrians but also straining government resources. The situation has created a bottleneck in the asylum system, prompting concerns about the long-term implications for both individuals like Azadi, a Kurdish asylum seeker, and those like Leen, who have been granted refugee status but face challenges with permanent settlement amid the policy pause
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