UK Pauses Syrian Asylum Claims, Causing Distress Among Applicants

Individuals seeking asylum, some of whom have been awaiting a resolution to their applications for over a year, have expressed to BBC News feelings of being “depressed” and “terrified” following the Home Office’s halt on processing claims. Hussam Kassas departed Syria in 2016, stating that he and his family were “personally targeted” by the regime of Bashar al-Assad because of his involvement in documenting human rights violations and participating in demonstrations. The father of two children indicated that he anticipated his family would receive refugee status; however, the UK’s suspension of claims has created uncertainty for him and put his housing and employment at risk. The Home Office has stated that this action was taken “whilst we assess the current situation” following the swift collapse of the regime. From 2011 to 2021, over 30,000 Syrian individuals received asylum in the UK. Nevertheless, on Monday, the Home Office declared that evaluating pending cases was no longer feasible due to the altered conditions in the country. This implies that the government has not yet concluded whether Syria, now governed by new rebel-led authorities, constitutes a secure nation to which individuals could be returned. The government has emphasized that no one will be repatriated to Syria during this ongoing assessment. Mr. Kassas is one of approximately 6,500 individuals whom the Home Office has identified as being affected by this suspension. The Refugee Council has cautioned that these individuals could remain “stuck for months” with their legal status unresolved. The 36-year-old, residing in Greater Manchester and working as an investigator for the UK-based advocacy organization Syrian British Consortium, stated that his student visa is set to expire next month, which would prevent him from being able to work or secure housing. “All of those people who came from Syria need to be supported, need to be empowered, to overcome what happened to them during the last 14 years, not uncertain again, not feeling unsafe again.” Mr. Kassas initially fled Syria for Jordan in 2016, subsequently relocating to Turkey with his wife and child. He obtained a student visa for the UK in August 2023 and submitted an asylum application several weeks thereafter. Recounting his experiences during Syria’s civil conflict, he stated: “I have been injured in my family house, my family house has been destroyed by barrel bombs and mortar shells.” “At one event they beat my father until he was out of [consciousness] to deliver me to them.” Mr. Kassas expressed his “certainty” that he and his family would face “threats” if they were to go back to Syria, citing worries that loyalists and military elements of the ousted president Assad remain active within the nation. He informed BBC News: “I don’t like being a refugee, I have a homeland, I have a right to get back there. But under the circumstances I do not believe I will be able to go. I will not risk my children’s safety, I will not risk my wife’s.” The Syrian capital, Damascus, along with significant portions of the nation, is currently under the command of a rebel alliance spearheaded by the Islamist faction Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS), which is designated as a terrorist organization by the UK government and other international bodies. Earlier in the week, cabinet minister Pat McFadden suggested that the UK might delist HTS as a banned terrorist group. However, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer subsequently stated that it was “far too early” to contemplate such a policy alteration. BBC News also interviewed Hamid, whose real name is being withheld, who escaped the Assad regime in 2013 following his involvement in humanitarian efforts within Syria. After relocating to Lebanon and then Turkey, he entered the UK as a student and sought asylum in late 2023. The father of two, residing in the West Midlands, reported that the suspension of asylum claims had made him “anxious” and caused his wife to cry. “Currently with their decision, they’re affecting thousands of people who are already struggling. [Syrian asylum seekers] cannot go back yet because it’s not yet safe, they cannot settle here at the same time, they will be nowhere for an unknown period of time.” Hamid implored the government to proceed with asylum determinations until a more thorough evaluation of Syria’s safety for asylum seekers can be conducted. “I want to ask them to use logic. After 13 years of a very complicated war, we cannot say in one day that we need to reassess. “I was really happy for the fall of the Assad regime. At the same time, the next day we received this news and to be honest, I was really depressed, frustrated.” Abdulaziz Almashi, a Syrian refugee who has established residence in the UK and advocated for asylum seekers, similarly voiced his apprehension. He commented: “It’s not reasonable, it’s not realistic, it’s unacceptable to be honest,” adding, “We are really worried how fast the British government and European governments are to get rid of Syrians… This is inhumane, and we don’t think anyone should go home now.” A spokesperson for the Home Office stated: “The Home Office has temporarily paused decisions on Syrian asylum claims whilst we assess the current situation.” “We keep all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review so we can respond to emerging issues.”