LONDON: Government ministers in the UK are facing calls to restart the processing of Syrian asylum applications after new figures revealed that more than 7,000 people remain in “indefinite limbo.”
After the fall of the Assad regime in December, the UK paused decisions on Syrian asylum and permanent resettlement claims, the BBC reported.
The pause has remained in place for five months, but now many Syrians living in Britain have been left in limbo, awaiting decisions on their applications.
The Refugee Council charity has called for the resumption of claim processing on a case-by-case basis, while the government said decisions were paused “while we assess the current situation.”
The Home Office lacks “stable, objective information available to make robust assessments of risk” relating to Syrians, a source told the BBC, adding that Britain’s policy on the matter “will remain under constant review.”
The newest figures, for the end of March, show that 7,386 Syrians in the UK are awaiting an initial decision on their asylum claims.
After the UK paused decisions on Syrian asylum applications, the number of claims filed by Syrian nationals fell by 81 percent, figures show.
Those claiming asylum often lack the right to work in Britain, but are provided with government-funded accommodation and financial support.
This leaves many Syrians “stuck in limbo” and increases the burden on the taxpayer, said Jon Featonby, chief policy analyst at the Refugee Council.
At the end of March, more than 5,500 Syrians were living in UK government-funded accommodation.
The British government has pledged to clear the large backlog of overall asylum claims, but Featonby said the Syrian issue is creating a “blockage” in the system.
He added that many Syrians also fear the UK government changing its position on the Syrian Arab Republic and judging it a safe country. This could lead to the rejection of thousands of asylum applications.
