Syria: European reactions to the overthrow of the Assad regime

Following the dramatic events that took place in Syria over the weekend of 7-8 December and which culminated in the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, the EU’s response has followed two tracks. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas led the reaction to events with a statement marking the fall of “Assad’s criminal regime”. The statement urged all actors to support an “inclusive Syrian-led and Syrian-owned dialogue”, underlining that the EU stands with Syrians and is in close contact with regional and international partners. In parallel, a great deal of attention has been paid to the fate of the millions of Syrians who have sought protection in Europe since the start of the country’s civil war in 2011.

EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation in Syria in the next Foreign Affairs Council meeting which will take place on 16 December and EU heads of state and government will discuss it during the next European Council meeting on 19 December.

Speaking in the European Parliament on 10 December, Kallas suggested that there were “positive signs” but that it was still “very, very early to tell whether this goes in the right direction”. Meanwhile, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Migration Magnus Brunner noted that the situation was “volatile”, with opportunities but also risks. Speaking following the first day of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council meeting on 12 December, Brunner reiterated the need for a better understanding of the situation on the ground.

Early in the week, in the days that followed the collapse of the al-Assad regime, several EU member states (MS) announced that they would pause the processing of asylum applications lodged by Syrians, invoking Article 31(4) of the Asylum Procedures Directive (APD) which allows MS to “postpone concluding the examination procedure (…) due to an uncertain situation in the country of origin which is expected to be temporary”. The same article also obliges them to review the situation in the country “at least every six months” and to inform the applicants concerned about the reasons for the postponement “within a reasonable time”. Several EU MS pursued a similar course of action regarding asylum applications from Afghans following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. The measures concerns the approximately 108,000 pending asylum applications lodged by Syrians. At least one EU MS also raised the possibility of the immediate return of Syrian refugees to their home country, despite the fact that it continues to suffer the lasting effects of a thirteen-year civil war or that there is no guarantee that the transition to democracy and improved living conditions will be smooth.

The need to ensure peace and stability before returns begin was emphasised by the European Commission, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Council of Europe (CoE) and numerous NGOs.

See below statements from representatives of international organisations on the latest development in Syria:

See below a selection of press articles covering EU MS’ decisions regarding the processing of asylum applications from Syrians:

See below several non-EU MS’ decisions regarding Syrians’ asylum applications:

See below statements by ECRE member organisations on MS’ decisions regarding Syrians’ asylum applications

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