In December 2024, after 13 years of civil war, Bashar Al-Assad’s regime collapsed. The next day, despite political instability, the UK and other European countries paused asylum applications from Syrian nationals.
Three months later, nothing has changed. The situation in Syria remains uncertain, and thousands of Syrians are stuck in limbo.
The war has devastated the country: half of the population (13 million people) experience food insecurity, and the water and healthcare infrastructure has been destroyed. This is compounded by a severe shortage of international aid.
At RLS, we see the direct impact of the decision to pause applications. Below, RLS team members have shared their thoughts on this decision and how it’s affecting our clients.
The UK
In our Family Routes Project (formerly known as Family Reunion from Europe), RLS lawyer Ellie Doyle has seen the uncertainty being caused by this “pause.” Many people we work with have already been granted asylum, and they’ll soon need to apply for indefinite leave to remain, but decisions on these claims are also on hold.
Many of our clients are happy to hear that the Assad regime has fallen, however, they state it would be unsafe for them to return. The pause on applications is affecting their mental health and wellbeing. Ellie explains that one of our young clients was so worried about how this would affect her current permission to be in the UK that she became unwell and didn’t attend school.
Our main concern is that the Home Office will decide to revoke or cease protection for Syrian nationals. This is because of the risk to their life or further violence if they return, and also because a person who no longer has the protection of the UK can’t sponsor relatives on refugee family reunion. This means they’ll be forced to live in isolation, away from their families, which will have a detrimental impact on their wellbeing.
Greece
Lucy Alper, our Project Coordinator and Legal Caseworker in Greece, frequently visits refugee camps around Athens to meet with people on the move. The conditions in these camps are dire, and often described as inhumane.
During the visits, Lucy reports that people have described “physical and psychological distress” whilst waiting for their interviews. With the pause in place, people will have to stay in these conditions for longer, with no idea when their cases will be processed.
This distress is exacerbated by the lack of legal aid in Greece and pre-existing delays in asylum procedures as the Asylum Service has lacked interpreters for many months. Several Syrian people have contacted the RLS phone line in Athens, as they’re fearful that their status will be revoked, and they’re anxious that it’s not safe to return to Syria.
The UK/France Border and New Arrivals to the UK
Francesca Parkes, Senior Caseworker and Project Coordinator, and Basma Kamel, Outreach Officer, regularly hold workshops with people on the move on the UK border and those who have newly arrived – including in Braintree, for those living in the Wethersfield asylum accommodation.
In recent workshops, they’ve spoken with Syrian nationals who have all asked questions about the pause, and when the decision making will resume. As both the French and UK governments have given no answers or updates on the situation, they’re forced to live in a state of limbo and confusion.
The people Francesca and Basma have met at the drop-in sessions in Braintree have been particularly concerned about the recent changes to citizenship introduced by the UK government for those arriving by “dangerous routes.” It’s unclear if these new rules will be challenged, as Syrians are also affected by this change.
Overall, the Syrian nationals that they have met state they are feeling more stressed as they might be staying in this limbo for several months, and all these months won’t count until they get their status in the UK.
Syrians awaiting decisions on their asylum applications have already spent 3 months waiting for answers. There’s no justification for further delays.
We’ll continue working with Syrian people and providing vital legal support and updates when available. We encourage UK and EU governments to consult NGOs and organisations working with Syrian nationals before they make a decision, and we urge them to lift this suspension in the meantime.
