UK Suspends 6,500 Syrian Asylum Claims

By Staff, Agencies

The United Kingdom suspended the processing of asylum applications for thousands of Syrians after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

The Home Office suspended about 6,500 asylum claims by Syrians, with immigration minister Angela Eagle stating that the government aims to facilitate the return of refugees to Syria, following militant groups’ seizure of control over Syria on December 8.

Syrian families in the UK have been left in limbo ahead of the Christmas holidays after the Home Office announced the decision.

Balal, a 39-year-old Syrian national, told The Guardian on Tuesday that his family are “fearing for their future” this Christmas.

He said that even if it were to be deemed safe to return to Syria, there was no future for his children in the Arab country.

“It’s terrifying because I know the new regime is just playing a game, trying to win approval from the international community. Once they get it, they’ll do whatever they want, without hesitation or mercy,” Balal said.

He went on to say that, “There are guns on the street, and the health and education system has collapsed” in Syria, adding that even if there was no further conflict and the new ruling entity got international help, it would take years to rebuild the country.

“My children are asking me ‘What will happen to us?’ How can we celebrate Christmas or New Year with the constant fear of being sent back? We are fearful of what will happen,” Balal said.

Balal, who worked as a bank manager in Damascus, has been living in Sheffield with his wife and four children-- aged 14, 10, and twins aged four-- for the past year.

He applied for asylum in 2023, had his second interview about his asylum application last month, and had been told by the Home Office that a decision on his case was “very close.”

Bilal, arrived in the UK last year on a student visa to study for a master’s in banking finance at Sheffield Hallam University, which he completed this September.

He would like to be able to apply to do a PhD or work full-time, but cannot do either without a decision on his asylum application from the Home Office.

Early this month, several European countries, including the UK, said they would freeze all pending asylum requests from Syrians, potentially leaving thousands of Syrians in limbo.

In the UK, by the end of February 2021, more than 20,000 Syrian refugees had been resettled under a government scheme, according to the Refugee Council.

In 2019, it was calculated that around 47,000 Syrians were living in the UK, but that number is thought to have since fallen to around 30,000.