The UK Home Office is refusing to guarantee that Syrian refugees living in the country would be allowed back if they visit Syria, despite other countries changing their policy on the matter [Getty]
The UK Home Office is reportedly refusing to guarantee that Syrian refugees living in the country would be allowed back if they visit Syria, according to a letter from the UK Minister of Border Security and Asylum seen by The New Arab.
The letter addressed to Keir Starmer, was in response to a query put forward by Kellie Strom who co-edits Syria Notes, an occasional journal aiming to inform UK policy debates on Syria.
Strom asked Starmer, his MP, to issue Syrians in the UK with an amending document or stamp giving them permission to travel to Syria “without prejudice to their refugee status” and highlighted that doing so would not only help Syria recover politically and economically but also allow Syrians to judge whether it is safe to return by themselves going there.
In response, minister of border security, Dame Angela Eagle said that all Syrian asylum claims have been temporarily paused since the fall of the Assad regime.
“This is because there is currently no stable, objective information on which to base an accurate assessment of a claimant’s risk on return to Syria, and we are unable to make robust, reliable decisions on claims for international protection,” she said.
“Under the current asylum rules, when an individual of any nationality returns to their country of origin, this will usually indicate voluntary re-availment and may lead to revocation of refugee status under paragraph 339A(i)-(vi) or humanitarian protection under paragraph 339GA of the Immigration Rules,” the response said, adding that such cases were assessed individually.
While Eagle acknowledged that it may be disappointing for those who had advocated for a policy change to allow flexible returns to Syria, she added that there were “currently no plans to change the immigration rules in this respect.”
“Protection status will only be revoked in these circumstances where there is no protection need on any grounds.”
Under the policy, Syrians who have been in the UK long enough to get British citizenship and a UK passport can travel to Syria, with many having already done so following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.
However, Strom says that while the risk of refugee status being revoked is not certain, it has still made many Syrians hesitant to visit the country due to the potential consequences.
“I don’t think this is good enough. Syrians who want to assess the possibility of return need to be able to visit Syria without this risk hanging over them,” Strom told The New Arab.
“I think the UK is missing an opportunity to show leadership, missing a chance to show it can stand with Syrians at a historic moment,” he continued.
The New Arab reached out to the Home Office for further comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
In recent weeks, both Turkey, Germany and France have changed their policy regarding Syrians residing in the countries, allowing them to make exploratory visits to Syria without losing their protected status.
Hannah Neumann, a German MEP, visited Syria and penned a report earlier this month highlighting that “those who fled Assad’s bombs, prisons, and chemical weapons are not just refugees – they are doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, and activists,” adding they need should return on their own terms to reconnect, invest and rebuild society.
“A simple solution exists temporary exceptions to asylum restrictions that allow Syrians to travel, assess conditions, and return safely without jeopardizing their legal protections. This would be in Europe’s interest as well as Syria’s—allowing the diaspora to play a role in stabilising the country,” she added.
The EU Commission has confirmed that doing this would be legal and feasible under existing asylum laws.
Since then, Germany has established a pilot 14-day travel allowance, with Neumann encouraging other member states to do so too.
Turkey too has implemented a policy which allows one adult per Syrian family to visit Syria and return up to three times within six months while retaining protection status “to prepare for return,” according to Human Rights Watch.
“…Single men [are] being excluded there are reports of some Syrians being denied re-entry, it remains to be seen how this scheme will be implemented in practice,” Hiba Zayadin, senior researcher at HRW noted.
Since the fall of Assad and Syria’s interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa becoming de-facto leader, displaced and exiled Syrians from around the world have been eager to go back to the country.
Al-Sharaa has repeatedly vowed to guarantee freedoms in the country and protect minorities and has already met key world leaders, including Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as held calls with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, among others.
