Chronic uncertainty for Syrians as UK suspends its asylum decisions

Move to pause processing refugee claims affects about 6,500 Syrians now living in Britain

A group of people thought to be migrants, including young children, are brought to Dover, Kent. PA

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The suspension of asylum decisions for Syrians has put thousands of lives on hold and leaves many reliant on pitiful financial support, say charities.

The move affects about 6,500 Syrian refugees in Britain alone, with about 30,000 already having been granted asylum between 2011 and 2021. Unable to work, they will remain in temporary accommodation and reliant on £8.86 a week of government financial support until a decision is made on their future. The government continues to try to reduce the cost of accommodation for migrants which at one point hit more than £8 million a day.

Britain, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Italy and Greece all triggered the pause after the fall of the Assad regime.

Their life is on hold until such times as our government decides their future for them

Steve Smith

On Wednesday Conservative spokesman Chris Philp said that Syrians claiming asylum in the UK based on threats posed by the Assad regime should return to Syria “once safe”. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged there are some “issues” around the decisions on asylum cases for Syria now that the regime of Bashar Al Assad has collapsed.

“Let's be clear, most of the claims that have been made [were] against the Assad regime for asylum, which is clearly not in place,” she said.

“It would therefore not be appropriate to be granting asylum decisions on those cases in the current circumstances. We do need to monitor the evolving situation so that we can get new country guidance in place and so that we can take those decisions, but we will do that in a sensible and serious way, which is about getting the asylum and the immigration systems back in control.”

A van passes an abandoned tank in Aleppo, Syria, as daily life returns days after rebels seized the capital, Damascus. Reuters

Charities have criticised the UK’s decision. “This decision locks thousands of Syrians into limbo,” Steve Smith, chief executive of Care4Calais told The National.

“With a live asylum claim in the UK, they have no agency to make their own decisions about their future. Instead, their life is on hold until such times as our government decides their future for them. This is a shameful decision in response to a historic moment for Syrians worldwide.”

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, told The National the fall of the Assad’s regime was a moment of immense relief but “significant concerns remain about the safety and stability” of Syria.

The risks people face are changing but it should still be possible to decide every case on its merits, he added. “People must not be left stuck for months with no idea what’s going to happen to them. We know too well the long-term harm of leaving men, women and children in chronic asylum limbo, unable to move on with their lives while they wait for news of their fate,” said Mr Solomon.

Asylum Aid said it was also “extremely concerned”. The charity has supported survivors who were tortured by sectarian militias and who would have feared both Bashar Al Assad and sectarian militias, such as Hayat Tahrir Al Sham.

“The reasons for Syrian nationals claiming asylum in the UK are multifaceted, complex and in no way limited solely to the atrocities committed by the Assad regime,” it told The National.

“The UK government’s decision will likely take a significant toll on the mental health of the Syrian clients we work with, leaving many feeling anxious and fearful about their future,” it added.

Meanwhile, Syrians in northern France who are waiting to cross the Channel to enter Britain say they are not deterred.

Syrians living in Turkey arrive with their belongings at the Oncupinar border crossing before entering Syria. AFP

“I was happy when Bashar Al Assad left,” said Syrian migrant Ali, 23. “Nobody wanted him in power any more. But the situation in Syria remains confused and the general atmosphere is chaotic.”

He said the decision by Britain to suspend asylum claims was “very bad news”. “But it won't stop us,” he insisted. “We want to continue to go to England because we're looking for peace.”

But if the situation improves in Syria, he will go back. “Everyone dreams of going home, but for now, the situation remains too uncertain, the leaders come from a background linked to terrorism,” he said.

Another Syrian, Fares, 32, also wondered how the rebels would govern. “No one knows what will happen now in Syria,” he said. “What are the cultural foundations of those who are now in power? We don't know.”

But “in Britain, we can offer ourselves and our children a future. There is work, there is peace, there is everything we need,” he said.

About 34,000 migrants of different nationalities have arrived in Britain on overcrowded dinghies since January. This year, at least 70 people have died attempting the crossing.