European countries have been putting the brakes on asylum claims filed by Syrian migrants since the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad, but it is not yet clear whether the United States will take similar action.
Britain and Norway joined EU countries Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Finland, Ireland and Sweden in suspending applications from Syrians after the fall of the Assad regime.
That doesn’t necessarily mean those people will return to Syria, but it puts such applications in an awkward position on a continent that saw a huge surge in Syrian migration during the 2015 European migration crisis.
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The European Union (EU) also stated that conditions for the safe return of Syrian citizens are not currently in place.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attends the signing ceremony of the Comprehensive Program for Strategic and Long-Term Cooperation between Iran and Syria in Damascus, Syria, May 3, 2023. (Photo credit: Borna News/Matin Ghasemi/Aksonline ATPImages/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Europe is receiving a much larger influx of Syrian immigrants than the United States, but it is unclear how this case will change in the United States given the changing political dynamics in the Middle Eastern country.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services handles asylum cases, and asylum officers are instructed to take changes in circumstances into account when considering such cases. Therefore, as the applicant’s country becomes more stable, consideration of the case will dynamically change. Stabilization in Syria may therefore make it more difficult for Syrians to obtain positive rulings on their cases.
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However, so far, the Syrian asylum case announced by the Biden administration has not been stopped. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.
Migrants and refugees stand in line at the Central Registration Center for Refugees and Asylum Seekers LaGeSo (Landesamt fuer Gesundheit und Soziales – State Department for Health and Social Affairs) in Berlin, Germany, Monday, January 4, 2016. ((AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File))
One element that could change next year is Temporary Protected Status, which grants deportation protection and work permits to nationals of countries deemed unsafe. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in January extended and redesignated Syria for TPS, which will last until September 2025.
If the Trump administration decides not to extend or redesignate Syria for TPS, it will no longer be protected from deportation and people with no other legal status will have to leave the U.S. or face deportation.
However, the number of Syrians protected by TPS is relatively small compared to other nationalities and the situation in Europe. DHS estimated in January that about 8,000 Syrians were eligible for TPS.
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The Center for Immigration Studies cited statistics showing that the number of Syrians granted asylum between 2011 and 2023 was just over 7,000. Meanwhile, there are 741 Syrians with deportation orders on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) non-detainer list, according to data obtained by Fox News Digital this week. According to the Associated Press, about 183,000 Syrians applied for asylum in Europe in 2023.
The UNHCR has called for “patience and vigilance” towards Syrian migrants, saying much will depend on whether Syria’s new government respects law and order.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
