The toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime was celebrated by millions of Syrian refugees across Europe but now they face the prospect of an uncertain return to their homeland.
Hardly a day after Assad’s fall, European countries, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden and Italy “paused the asylum process” for Syrians, leaving many of them in limbo, said France24. Austria’s Interior Ministry has even begun preparing a “return and deportation plan”, said Politico. The political situation in Syria remains extremely volatile, however, and, for many refugees settled in Europe, it is “too soon” to consider going home.
‘Impossible dream’
The quick decisions to suspend asylum-claim decisions were no doubt driven by domestic issues in Europe, including “inflation, housing shortages and strained services”, that have “fuelled frustration at migrant and refugee populations”, said Rob Picheta at CNN. Leaders are looking to “harden their stances on migration” in order to “quell surging support for populist and far-right forces”.
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But European countries hoping for a rapid return of Syrians “are likely to be disappointed”, said The Economist. The one million Syrians in Germany, for example, have an employment rate “higher than in most other EU countries”. Many of them “have put down roots” and some are simply “too young to recall anywhere else” as home.