MSF UK statement: Pause on asylum decisions for Syrians

12 December 2024 - Only days after Bashar al-Assad’s fall in Syria, the United Kingdom has followed several other European countries to publicly announce that they will suspend the processing of asylum applications from Syrians.

Given the significant contextual developments in Syria, including substantial displacement, the situation is uncertain, and conditions remain dire in many of the areas we work.

The UK Government must not instrumentalise developments in Syria to serve its own migration control agenda. 

It must ensure that Syrian asylum seekers continue to have access to asylum procedures, are protected from refoulement, and are able to access protection, rights, and dignified reception conditions while awaiting a decision on their asylum application.