UPDATE - Germany halts Syrian asylum decisions amid political uncertainty

ADDS INTERIOR MINISTER’S STATEMENT, BACKGROUND

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - German authorities have suspended all decisions on Syrian asylum applications amid growing uncertainty about conditions in Syria, local media reported on Monday.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has paused decisions on 47,270 pending cases due to difficulties in assessing Syria's evolving political situation, news magazine Der Spiegel reported.

A BAMF spokesperson has confirmed the temporary suspension, while noting that previously approved cases remain unaffected by the pause.

Germany is home to approximately 1 million Syrians, most of whom sought refuge in the country following the outbreak of civil war in Syria in 2011.

Of these individuals, about 321,500 have been granted refugee status, while nearly 330,000 have received short-term residence permits under subsidiary protection.

"Many refugees who have found protection in Germany now finally have hope of returning to their Syrian homeland and rebuilding their country. However, the situation in Syria is currently very unclear," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"Therefore, concrete possibilities of return cannot yet be predicted at this moment and it would be unprofessional to speculate about them in such a volatile situation. The further assessment of the status of Syrian refugees living in Germany also depends on further developments in Syria," she added.

The status of Syrians in Germany and Berlin's refugee policy have become key political points ahead of February's snap elections.

While senior politicians from the opposition Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) push for returning Syrian refugees to their homeland, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) and their Green coalition partners advocate a more cautious approach, citing Syria's unstable conditions.