More than 100,000 Syrian asylum applications pending in EU
More than 100,000 applications for international protection from Syrians were pending in the EU at the end of October. The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) published the figures on Wednesday, in the context of the recent uprising in Syria.
There were 108,200 applications pending a first decision, the EUAA reports. Some people may have applied in several countries simultaneously, the agency says.
What will happen with those applications will depend on the how the situation in Syria evolves. Several EU member states, including Belgium, have announced they are temporarily suspending the processing of asylum applications from Syrians following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government last weekend.
Millions of refugees
Since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011, more than 13 million people have been displaced, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. While neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt have taken in the vast majority of Syrian refugees, many have fled to Europe.
Germany leads the European ranking, taking in nearly 800,000 Syrian refugees or asylum seekers, while Sweden comes in second. In many member states, Syrians rank first in terms of asylum applications.
Applications on hold
In Belgium, about 35,000 Syrians received protection in Belgium over the past 10 years. From January until October 2024, 4,725 Syrians applied for asylum in the country, more than any other nationality.
In Belgium, the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons decided on Monday to temporarily stop processing Syrian asylum applications, until there is more clarity on the situation in the country. If that were to improve, refugees could be sent back, according to outgoing state secretary for Asylum and Migration Nicole de Moor.
Syrian refugees wait in line at a health centre in Sanliurfa, southeastern Turkey © PHOTO YASIN AKGUL / AFP
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