UK to Restart Syrian Refugee Decisions After Assad’s Fall

The UK government has announced it will resume processing Syrian asylum and settlement applications more than seven months after halting decisions in the wake of regime change in Damascus.

Asylum Minister Dame Angela Eagle confirmed that updated guidance has now been issued to Home Office officials, enabling them to make “accurate and well-evidenced determinations” on Syrian asylum claims. The decision follows the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) last December, which had prompted the government to pause assessments due to instability and a lack of reliable information.

In a written statement, Dame Angela said the pause was necessary to assess the shifting political and security landscape: “This was a necessary step while there was no stable, objective information available to make robust assessments of risk on return to Syria.” With more data now available, the Home Office will resume processing asylum claims and consider returns to Syria in line with the new guidelines.

The suspension, which came into effect in December 2023, left more than 7,000 Syrians in the UK in limbo. Many of them had already been granted temporary refugee status, and others were awaiting decisions on their initial claims. The majority of these individuals have been living in government-provided accommodation, including hotels, unable to work or secure housing due to their uncertain legal status.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, welcomed the move but urged the government to proceed cautiously: “We know the pause in decision making had left Syrian people trapped in further limbo, unable to work, move on with their lives and fearing for their future. However, the situation in Syria continues to be unstable, and we urge the government to ensure that every asylum application is assessed on a case-by-case basis, ensuring the safety and protection of Syrians who would face extreme risk if they are returned.”

The updated guidance comes at a time of significant political change in Syria. Figures affiliated with HTS — a group designated as a terrorist organization by the UK — now control the government. HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa was named interim president earlier this year. The new Home Office guidance stresses that the mere existence of a breakdown in law and order or general insecurity does not automatically justify asylum.

It states: “There are not substantial grounds for believing there is a real risk of serious harm in Syria because of a serious and individual threat to a civilian’s life or person by reason of indiscriminate violence in a situation of international or internal armed conflict.”

Each asylum claim will be assessed on its own merits, with the burden of proof resting on the claimant to demonstrate a personal risk of persecution or serious harm.

The guidance also reflects a shift in how the UK government views asylum eligibility in light of Syria’s new leadership. It notes that individuals who previously fled Assad’s regime may no longer face danger upon return, stating that “opponents of the former Assad regime are unlikely to be at risk upon return to Syria solely on that basis.”

Regarding religious and ethnic minorities, the Home Office guidance asserts that Christians, Druze, Kurds, and Shia Muslims are generally “unlikely to face a real risk of persecution or serious harm from the state,” though individuals must still prove their personal risk. However, there are exceptions. Kurds in areas under the de facto control of the Syrian National Army — a coalition of Turkish-backed rebel groups — are said to be at high risk based on their ethnicity or perceived political views.

Of particular concern is the situation facing Syria’s Alawite minority, which was closely tied to the former Assad government. The guidance notes that Alawites “are likely to face a real risk of persecution or serious harm from the state due to their religion and/or an imputed political opinion.” In March, a series of attacks on Alawite communities left an estimated 800 people dead. HTS-affiliated groups were reportedly involved in the violence, raising fears of targeted reprisals.

Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary David Lammy became the first UK government minister to visit Syria since the 2011 uprising that led to the civil war. During his trip, he met interim President al-Sharaa. The visit signals a cautious warming of relations, as the UK has also begun easing sanctions on Syria.

Ministers have indicated that some Syrians who came to the UK before Assad’s fall may now consider returning. The updated policy suggests that returns could take place where it is safe to do so, though authorities insist this will only happen in accordance with international law.

Under the UN Refugee Convention, an individual must demonstrate a “well-founded fear of persecution” to be granted asylum. The Home Office reiterated that risk assessments must be based on specific, individual circumstances — not merely the general instability of a region.

For now, thousands of Syrians who have been left in legal and personal limbo may finally see progress on their cases — though campaigners caution that the volatile conditions in Syria mean the process must be handled with exceptional care.