Since the unrest in Syria last Sunday, the tone on the refugee issue has changed considerably. There are sometimes vehement calls for refugees to return to their home country – and Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) now confirms to the “Krone” that asylum is deliberately intended as “temporary protection”.
“The fall of the Assad regime changes the overall situation,” Nehammer told krone.at on Monday evening. For thousands of Syrians, the chance to return to a safe homeland is within reach, the Chancellor says.
Family reunification is also suspended
As previously reported, the Ministry of the Interior has been tasked with reassessing the situation in Syria. In this context, asylum procedures – and family reunification – are temporarily suspended. Initially, the asylum stop will now initially affect 7,300 open procedures.
Repatriation and deportation program
In concrete terms, the right to remain must now be monitored and an orderly repatriation and deportation program to Syria must also be developed.
Contact the EU and Turkiye
Further steps now include contacting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkey alone is home to millions of Syrians) and also EU Council President António Costa. The Chancellery said it wanted to approach the EU to incorporate the changed situation into its policy.
Experts agree that the likelihood that large numbers of Syrians will voluntarily return to their homeland after Bashar al-Assad is removed from power is slim. Coercive measures will probably be necessary. However, it remains to be seen whether the transfer of power will actually be peaceful, military experts say – there are many ethnic groups in Syria that need to be united.
“Invitation” from Syria
The new rulers of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) are promising peace and have called on their fellow refugees to return and help rebuild the country. It remains to be seen whether these promises will be kept; the Taliban’s initial announcements in Afghanistan also failed to materialize.
Either way, the FPÖ would be happy. Party leader Herbert Kickl wished everyone a “good trip” on Facebook and made a comment about the disappearing “knife specialists”.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
