The fall of the al-Assad regime in Syria implies dramatic changes, according to the Migration Agency.
The changes are so comprehensive that the prerequisites for asylum assessments against Syria are fundamentally changed. All guidance from the Migration Agency, UNHCR, and the EU's asylum office is largely obsolete, says the agency's legal chief Carl Bexelius.
In total, more than 620 Syrians are affected by the Migration Agency's decision. Of these, nearly 450 are people who have sought asylum. Over 100 are people who have appealed a rejection to court and are waiting for a decision, and another 70 are people who have been ordered to be deported but have cited obstacles.
Protection from al-Assad
Bexelius notes that it is very unclear how Syria will be led in the future.
We do not know how the new leadership of the country will exercise its power in relation to, for example, different minorities. Therefore, it is difficult to assess whether a person has a protection need, he says.
He says that a large majority of all Syrians who have sought asylum in Sweden have cited protection against the al-Assad regime.
Then one might think that there is no longer a great need, but we do not yet know how it will develop. Right now, we need to freeze the situation and then it will clear up afterwards.
Requires permanence
The Sweden Democrats have demanded that Syrians' residence permits be re-examined. But it is not something that is covered by the Migration Agency's decision on pause.
A person's refugee status can cease, for example, if they choose to settle in their home country. It can also be changes in the home country – but then they must be both significant and permanent, says Bexelius.
For example, in the form of a new government that upholds fundamental human rights and does not exercise persecution or oppression.
Time is a factor, and in that situation, we are not there yet.
The Migration Agency's decision on pause applies until further notice.
We are following the situation continuously, and if the circumstances change, we may need to update, says Bexelius.
Several other European countries, including Germany, Austria, and Norway, have also announced that they are pausing Syrian asylum applications.
