UK and other European states suspend Syrians’ asylum applications

Austria prepares ‘repatriation and deportation’ programme to country where president has just been deposed

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The UK and other European countries have said they will suspend the processing of asylum applications from Syrians after the fall of the Assad regime in Damascus, with Austria already preparing a “repatriation and deportation” programme to the country.

In London, a Home Office spokesperson said it had “temporarily paused decisions on Syrian asylum claims whilst we assess the current situation”.