Germany pauses asylum applications for Syrians after al-Assad’s fall
Al Jazeera
As Syrians in Germany hail a new era, Berlin discusses migration with one official suggesting offering people 1,000 euros to return.
Berlin, Germany – Less than 48 hours after the toppling of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, Germany, home to the largest Syrian population outside the Middle East, says it will pause asylum applications from Syrian citizens.
An official from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees told Der Spiegel news magazine on Monday that the move was taken in light of the unclear and unpredictable political situation in Syria, which would place asylum decisions “on shaky ground”.
No further decisions will be made on undecided asylum cases until further notice, which affects 47,770 applications by Syrian nationals.
About 1.3 million people with Syrian roots live in Germany, the vast majority of whom arrived in 2015 and 2016 when then-Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed refugees fleeing Syria’s devastating war.
However, in more recent years, Germany’s political climate has turned sharply against immigration.
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