Over 45,000 asylum seekers in Germany are affected by the decision from the migration authority Bamf to temporarily pause its handling.
The pause will continue "until the situation is clearer", says Interior Minister Nancy Faeser according to the news agency AFP.
Austria, Denmark, and Norway are also on the same track.
"This means that UDI will not process applications – neither reject nor approve – from Syrians who have sought asylum in Norway", states a statement from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration to the news agency NTB.
During the autumn, pressure has increased in several EU countries to start sending refugees back to at least parts of Syria, which are considered safe enough. These demands are now expected to increase further since President Bashar al-Assad fled from rapidly advancing resistance groups.
