Just days after the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December, Greece became one of several EU countries to suspend decisions on asylum applications filed by Syrian nationals. Over 9,000 Syrian applicants in the country are now in legal limbo as a result.
Greek officials told openDemocracy the indefinite pause was put in place to protect applicants, not endanger them. “Most Syrian asylum seekers cite persecution by the Assad regime,” said a senior migration ministry official, who asked to remain anonymous as the ministry did not wish to officially respond to openDemocracy’s questions.
If we were to issue decisions now, their applications would either be rejected or would receive the more limited benefits of subsidiary protection. We are monitoring how the situation in Syria is evolving to assess the safety for returns, and we’re exploring whether to expand subsidiary protection.
Critics contend that this explanation is disingenuous. Natassa Strachini, an asylum expert and Legal Coordinator at Refugee Support Aegean, a leading Greek non-profit, said asylum officers can and should decide on a case-by-case basis if it is safe to return. The toppling of Assad alone, she said, does not render asylum claims void.
