The UK government has resumed processing Syrian asylum and settlement claims, ending a seven-month pause that began after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December.
In a written statement to Parliament on Monday, Asylum Minister Dame Angela Eagle said decisions had resumed now that the Home Office had “sufficient information to make accurate and well-evidenced determinations.” The pause, she added, had been necessary due to the collapse of the Assad government and a lack of reliable information about the new political order in Syria.
The suspension, which affected more than 7,000 Syrians in the UK many of whom had already been granted temporary refugee status left claimants in legal and economic limbo. Most were unable to work or access permanent housing, and lived in government-funded hotels or temporary accommodation.
Now, with updated guidance and a shifting political climate, the UK is moving towards processing new claims and even initiating forced returns. A senior Home Office source suggested that deportations could begin before the end of the year, noting that the first removals are “not a million miles away.”
The new guidance outlines a case-by-case approach, with the burden on applicants to prove they still face a “well-founded fear of persecution.” While returns to Syria will be considered, the Home Office stresses that “a breakdown in law and order” or general insecurity “does not in itself” constitute grounds for asylum.
The government also acknowledges that some groups may still face danger. Kurds in areas controlled by Turkish-backed rebels, and members of the Alawite minority once aligned with the Assad regime are “likely to face a real risk of persecution or serious harm.” In March, HTS-affiliated forces were accused of killing around 800 Alawites in reprisal attacks.
Meanwhile, groups like Christians, Druze, and Shia Muslims are now considered unlikely to face state-led persecution under the new HTS-led interim government.
The updated guidance follows an official visit to Damascus by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the first such trip by a UK minister in over a decade and marks a notable shift in UK-Syria relations. It also coincides with reports that other European countries, including Austria, have begun processing Syrian claims and even conducting deportations.
Analysts say UK ministers feared the country would become a “pull factor” for Syrian asylum seekers if it failed to resume returns while other nations acted. That concern has grown amid political pressure over small boat crossings and France’s push for tighter migration control, culminating in a “one in, one out” agreement signed last week between London and Paris.
Refugee advocates, while welcoming the end of the decision-making pause, remain wary. “The situation in Syria continues to be unstable,” said Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council.
“Every asylum application must be assessed individually, and returns must only happen when safety can be assured.”
Campaigners also warn that a hasty resumption of deportations may put vulnerable individuals at risk. Many Syrians who initially fled Assad’s government may now face persecution under a new regime with Islamist elements and shifting allegiances.
With the UK gradually easing sanctions on Syria and rebuilding limited diplomatic ties, the Home Office insists decisions will reflect current realities. But for thousands of Syrians in Britain, uncertainty remains and for some, the prospect of returning to a homeland still scarred by war now looms large.
