Austria has halted the processing of asylum applications from Syrians following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, according to the Austrian Ministry of the Interior, as reported by Reuters.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer directed Interior Minister Gerhard Karner to suspend the review of all ongoing Syrian asylum applications and to reassess cases where asylum had already been granted. Karner revealed that he had tasked the ministry with developing a plan for “orderly repatriation and deportation to Syria,” though specific details on how this would be implemented were not disclosed.
The ministry also announced the suspension of its family reunification program, which had allowed refugee families to join their relatives.
Nehammer previously stated that the security situation in Syria must be reevaluated before deportations can resume. Syrians make up the largest group of asylum seekers in Austria, with 12,871 applications submitted as of November.
It was also reported that Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees had suspended the acceptance of Syrian asylum applications.
