Several European countries have announced the suspension of reviewing asylum applications from refugees from Syria. Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and Sweden have already expressed this intention. France has not ruled out such a possibility either.
Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has reported that the review of over 47,000 asylum applications has been suspended.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer stated, "After the fall of the dictatorship in Syria, the security situation needs to be reassessed. I have instructed the Interior Minister to halt all ongoing asylum processes for Syrian citizens." According to media reports, this decision affects at least 7,300 asylum seekers from Syria.
The Telegraph has also reported that in the UK, over 6,500 Syrian refugees are currently waiting for decisions on their asylum requests.
