EU Commissioner: Asylum applications for Syrians must be suspended!

EU Commissioner: Asylum applications for Syrians must be suspended!

Austria's EU migration commissioner Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) has the decision to suspend the processing of asylum applications for Syrian refugees as "quite acceptable". At a press conference in Brussels, he explained that many European countries have taken similar measures. In addition, the UNHCR believes that this suspension is "legally ok"; After the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the security situation in Syria is simply too unclear to be able to predict how things will develop. Information about this provides Brunner emphasized that Austria is not alone, and he sees the suspension as a "normal procedure" in view of the current situation. The EU wants to contribute intensively to the support of Syria's reconstruction and plans to create voluntary return options for Syrian refugees. This return should also be supported by measures by the border protection agency Frontex. An increased need for humanitarian aid and a stronger role of the EU in the reconstruction of Syria are also considered necessary. As kleinezeitung.at , Brunner sees the collapse of the Assad regime both as an opportunity, and he refers to the necessity that the situation refers exactly observe.

In the coming weeks, further discussions are planned at the EU level. The current priority is on the creation of suitable framework for the return of Syrian refugees and to take into account possible future escape movements from Syria. At the upcoming session of the EU Innent Council, the challenges and dealing with the effects of the Assad fall are dealt with in detail.