Freeze measure for third-country nationals with temporary Ukrainian residence permit ends on 4 September 2025
Third country-nationals with a temporary residence permit in Ukraine can no longer make use of the rights associated with…
IND resumes processing Syrian asylum applications
Last update: 12 June 2025
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) will immediately resume processing all pending and new asylum applications from Syrians. This decision was made in response to the revised country policy for Syria, which outgoing Minister Van Weel communicated to the House of Representatives in a letter on 10 June. As a result, approximately 16,870 pending and new applications can now be reassessed.
Since December 2024, there has been a moratorium on decisions and departures for applications from Syrians. This means that all decisions on Syrian asylum applications have been on hold due to the uncertainty following the fall of the Assad regime. The recent Country of Origin Report of 29 May prompted the government to review its country policy. It states that the whole of Syria is now experiencing the lowest level of indiscriminate violence, as referred to in Article 15c of the EU Qualification Directive. This means that it is less dangerous for many Syrians than before. To be eligible for asylum, they must prove that they would face a real risk of serious harm if they return. Certain groups, such as the LGBTIQ+ community and Alawites, may be at increased risk. A risk profile has therefore been assigned to these groups, which the IND will use as a basis for individual assessments.
Consequences for Syrians
The new policy applies immediately to all pending and new Syrian asylum applications. The asylum procedure for these applicants can now be resumed. For many Syrians, this means clarity in their procedure. At the same time, it is expected that more applications will be rejected under the new policy than before.
Reassessments postponed
The reassessment of existing residence permits – which affects more than 71,000 Syrian status holders – has been postponed for the time being. The situation in Syria is still considered too uncertain for this. A new Country of Origin Report will be published in January 2026, which may provide more clarity on this matter.