If we thought the fall of the Assad regime would only impact Syria or the fate of the Middle East, we were wrong—dramatically so. Just days after the rebels seized control of Damascus, numerous European countries announced the suspension of all asylum applications submitted by Syrian citizens.
Berlin was the first to declare that it would no longer accept Syrian refugees, setting off a rapid chain reaction. Vienna, Brussels, Rome, Athens, Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki, and Amsterdam announced yesterday (Monday) that they too would follow Germany's lead and halt refugee admissions for the time being.
Unlike the aforementioned countries, France stated it is still deliberating on the matter, while Spain firmly opposed the decision. Meanwhile, the UK, no longer part of the European Union, announced it would not allow Syrian refugees to enter its borders until further notice.
This controversial decision, which sparked outrage in some countries and gained full support in others, affects not only the thousands of asylum requests submitted in the past two days by those fleeing Syria's historic regime change but also the tens of thousands of pending applications in recent years.
While the trend among European nations appears consistent and coordinated, the European Commission has opted not to take a clear stance on the complex issue, choosing instead to delay any discussion on the implications of Assad's fall to a later date. In other words: see no evil, hear no evil.
In the meantime, Europe is becoming increasingly volatile. The Syrian revolution may have raised red flags for several governments, but it has not addressed the flawed immigration policies that persist. These policies have prompted countries like Italy and France to promote special programs, aimed at preventing terrorism from taking root.
Focusing on Syrian migrants alone, the UN refugee agency estimates that approximately 12 million people were displaced over the past decade—6.8 million internally within Syria and 5.2 million who fled to neighboring countries: 3 million to Turkey, 770,000 to Lebanon, 620,000 to Jordan, 300,000 to Iraq, and 150,000 to Egypt.
Among EU member states, Germany hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees. At the peak of the civil war, former Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed no fewer than one million refugees, during a time when Assad's regime was responsible for over half a million deaths.
Syrians have been the largest group of asylum seekers in the EU every year since 2013. The number of asylum applications from Syrians rose from 131,790 in 2022 to 183,035 in 2023, representing a concerning 17.5% of total asylum seekers.
Unlike the compassionate response to the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, the global community appears to have taken a different approach this time. While in 2011, nations rallied to aid victims of the war, the fall of Assad has not prompted world leaders to open their borders or risk their citizens' security.
This shift is evident not only in Europe but also in the US. Former President Donald Trump, upon his election, vowed: "I will end the influx of migrants and restore the American dream." Many Arab states have also closed their doors to new refugees. Among Middle Eastern nations that have shut their borders are Lebanon and Jordan.
