Germany halts all pending Syrian asylum cases after al-Assad ouster

Berlin (dpa) – Germany has halted decisions on asylum applications from Syrian citizens following the ouster of former Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, a spokesman for the Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) told dpa on Monday.

The decision comes after rapidly advancing Syrian rebel groups seized control of the capital Damascus following more than a decade of bloody civil war in the country, with al-Assad himself leaving for Russia.

The halt applies to more than 47,000 asylum applications from Syrians in Germany in which the civil war and current political situation in Syria would be major factors in deciding whether the applicants should receive asylum or not, the BAMF spokesman said.

“The BAMF takes a very close look at the individual cases, including an assessment of the situation on the ground in the country of origin,” an Interior Ministry spokesman told journalists in Berlin.

The agency has the option of deferring decisions on asylum cases if the situation in an applicant’s home country is unclear, and that currently is the case in Syria, the ministry spokesman said.

In practical terms, this means that applications from Syrians “are sorted down the pile and other asylum decisions are brought forward,” he said.

The move will not affect proceedings to send Syrians to other European Union countries that may be responsible for their asylum cases under the so-called Dublin rules, according to BAMF.

Germany has been a major destination for Syrian refugees during the conflict, including accepting a major wave of Syrian citizens who sought shelter in Germany during the refugee crisis of 2015-16.

Senior leaders of Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc quickly suggested encouraging refugees to return to the country in the wake of al-Assad’s ouster.

The coalition of rebel groups, including Islamist extremist fighters, swept through formerly government-held areas of the country.

Thousands of Syrians celebrated al-Assad’s overthrow on the streets of Germany over the weekend.

But the collapse of al-Assad’s government still leaves the country divided between rival forces, including Kurdish forces who also control significant territory. It remains unclear what kind of government might emerge in Damascus to replace al-Assad’s authoritarian rule.

Jens Spahn, a deputy leader of the centre-right CDU/CSU bloc in parliament, argued on Monday morning that the German government should now arrange flights for Syrians who had fled from al-Assad’s regime, and offer cash incentives to encourage people to return to their home country.

“As a first step, I would say that we are making an offer. How about the German government saying: anyone who wants to go back to Syria, we’ll charter planes for them and give them a starting payment of €1,000,” ($1,060), Spahn, Germany’s former health minister, told broadcaster RTL/ntv on Monday morning.

Spahn said Germany should also push for an international conference on rebuilding Syria along with Turkey, Austria and Jordan.

But the CDU/CSU focus on Syrian refugees drew criticism from other German politicians, including Katrin Göring-Eckardt, a Green and the vice president of parliament.

“After a day and a half [since Damascus fell], I find this an inappropriate domestic policy debate,” Göring-Eckardt told rbb radio in Berlin.

If Syria becomes a safe country, people should and will return, but that debate should wait until after this period of great instability, she said.

“We should support everything that goes in the direction of freedom, stability and democratic conditions in Syria,” she said.

Spahn was not the only senior politician from the CDU/CSU bloc, which is Germany’s main opposition group and currently leads the polls ahead of expected early elections in February, to raise the situation of Syrian refugees in Germany.

CDU foreign affairs politician Jürgen Hardt told public broadcaster ZDF that he believes many Syrian refugees will ultimately want to return to their home country themselves, and that help should be offered.

Hardt called it “a hopeful sign” that people do not appear to be fleeing towards Turkey or Europe from areas taken by the rebels.

He added that the European Union, and Germany in particular, should actively support the transition along with Turkey, “with the result that many refugees will be able to return,” and called on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to quickly reach out to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the issue.