The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) provides free legal help to some refugees and displaced people.
- IRAP helps some people find services and prepare refugee and visa applications.
- IRAP is not part of any government, IOM, or UNHCR.
- IRAP cannot grant refugee status or visas or speed up cases.
- IRAP cannot provide financial help, find or pay for housing, or find jobs.
- All of IRAP’s help is free. No one affiliated with IRAP has the right to ask you for money or any other service.
IRAP decides to help people based on their need and eligibility for immigration status. IRAP does not decide to help people based on any other social or political or religious criteria.
This website provides general information about legal processes available to some refugees. It is not meant as legal advice for individual applications.
Requirements may change. Always check for current requirements from the government or agency deciding your request.
If you are in a refugee emergency, we recommend that you contact the UNHCR office in the country where you live.
NOTE: This information is affected by new policies as of January 20, 2025 and will be updated soon.
Summary
This article is for Syrians who are displaced and who may have questions about where they can go and whether they can stay in their current location.
Please note that information on this subject is likely to change very quickly. Always consult official government websites to confirm accuracy. If you have an attorney, you should also talk to them to answer more specific questions about your case.
I am in (country). Can I stay here? Can I go back to Syria?
Governments around the world have announced a variety of different plans and policy changes in response to the end of the Assad regime. Below we have listed a few countries that have a large Syrian population and what they have said they are planning to do in response. This is not an exhaustive list.
Lebanon
The Lebanese government has not made any statements about whether Syrians who have already been granted asylum will lose their status. The Lebanese government has also not said whether current or new applications will be disrupted. Lebanon’s Prime Minister has called for Syrian refugees to return to Syria, but there is no formal policy to return Syrians back to Syria as of this writing.
UNHCR Lebanon has opened a hotline and an email contact form for people in Lebanon who have questions about returning to Syria.
Jordan
The Jordanian government has said that it wants to encourage people to return to Syria voluntarily, but that it should happen when there are safe and secure conditions. As of this writing, the Jordanian government has not announced any plans to send Syrians back to Syria; however, the border entering into Jordan remains closed to Syrians. That border is, however, open for Syrians to exit Jordan once the appropriate permissions have been obtained from the Jordanian Ministry of the Interior.
If you are considering returning to Syria, please contact the UNHCR Jordan returns hotline (0791109826). UNHCR can guide you through the confirmed exit formalities, liaise with relevant authorities, or share other information to help support your return, or your decision-making process.
Türkiye
The government of Türkiye has not made any statements about whether Syrians who have already been granted asylum or temporary protection status will lose status or whether current or new applications will be disrupted. The Türkiye government has said that it will work for the safe and voluntary return home for Syrians.
For more information or to seek assistance, please contact the UNHCR Türkiye Counselling Line at 444 48 68; additional information is available on the UNHCR Türkiye website under the heading “Voluntary Repatriation.”
United States of America
The United States government has not made any statements about whether it will stop processing asylum applications from Syrians, or whether Syrian refugees currently in the US will lose their refugee status.
UK
If you have applied for asylum
The government of the United Kingdom has announced that it will temporarily stop processing asylum applications from Syrians until more is known about the future government of the country. This means that they are waiting to make a decision about Syrian asylum requests that have been submitted to the government but have not yet been approved or denied. If you have submitted an application, but the UK government hasn’t made a decision, you may not receive a decision for several months.
If you already have asylum
The UK government has said that Syrians who have already been granted asylum in the UK will not lose their status.
If you have not applied for asylum
The UK government has not made any statements about new asylum applications from Syrians. For that reason, we believe it is likely that Syrians can still submit applications, even though they may not be processed at this time. We will update this article if this changes.
Germany
If you have applied for asylum
The German government has announced that it will temporarily stop processing asylum applications from Syrians until more is known about the future government of the country. This means that they are waiting to make a decision about Syrian asylum requests that have been submitted to the government but have not yet been approved or denied. If you have submitted an application, but the German government hasn’t made a decision, you may not receive one for several months.
If you already have asylum
The German government has said that Syrians who have already been granted asylum in Germany will not lose their status.
If you have not applied for asylum
The German government has not made any statements about new asylum applications from Syrians. For that reason, we believe it is likely that Syrians can still submit applications, even though they may not be processed at this time. We will update this article if this changes.
France
If you have applied for asylum
At this time, French embassies and consulates outside of France are still processing asylum visa applications for Syrians. However, asylum applications that were filed in France are currently not being processed.
This means that for people who were living in France and filed for asylum in France, the French government is waiting to make a decision about Syrian asylum requests that have been submitted to the government but have not yet been approved or denied.
If you already have asylum
The French government has not made any statements about whether Syrians who have already been granted asylum could lose their status.
If you have not applied for asylum
The French government has said that people from Syria are still allowed to submit asylum applications.
Sweden
If you have applied for asylum
The Swedish government has announced that it will temporarily stop processing asylum applications from Syrians until more is known about the future government of the country. This means that they are waiting to make a decision about Syrian asylum requests that have been submitted to the government but have not yet been approved or denied. As of this writing, the Swedish government has said that it plans to decide how to process Syrian applications by March 10, 2025.
The Swedish government has stated that the decision freeze only applies to first-time applicants and not to applications for extended residence permits. That means if you already have asylum in Sweden and are currently applying for an extended residence permit, the Swedish government will process your application.
If you already have asylum
Sweden has not made any statements at this time about whether or not Syrians in Sweden can keep their refugee status.
If you have not applied for asylum
The Swedish government has not made any statements about new asylum applications from Syrians. For that reason, we believe it is likely that Syrians can still submit applications, even though they may not be processed at this time. We will update this article if this changes.
Finland
If you have applied for asylum
The Finnish government has announced that it will temporarily stop processing asylum applications from Syrians until more is known about the future government of the country. This means that they are waiting to make a decision about Syrian asylum requests that have been submitted to the government but have not yet been approved or denied. If you have submitted an application, but the Finnish government hasn’t made a decision, you may not receive one for several months.
If you have applied for asylum and you already have an interview scheduled, the interview will still happen. However, the Finnish government will not make a decision about your application until it starts processing asylum applications again.
The Finnish government is not currently accepting requests to expedite (speed up) the application process for Syrians.
If you already have asylum
The Finnish government has not said whether or not they will take away refugee status for Syrians who have already been granted asylum.
If you have not applied for asylum
Syrians are still permitted to apply for asylum in Finland, even though application processing has been paused.
Belgium
If you have applied for asylum
The Belgium government has announced that it will temporarily stop processing asylum applications from Syrians until more is known about the future government of the country. This means that they are waiting to make a decision about Syrian asylum requests that have been submitted to the government but have not yet been approved or denied. If you have submitted an application, but the Belgium government hasn’t made a decision, you may not receive one for several months.
Belgium will continue processing your asylum application if you have a protection status in another EU member state. This means that, for example, if you have refugee or subsidiary protection status in another EU country, Belgium will still process your application. (Subsidiary protection status is a special type of protection for people who are not recognized as refugees but still need safety because they face serious risks like harm or violence if they return to their home country.)
If you already have asylum
As of this writing, the Belgium government will not take away refugee status for Syrians who have already been granted asylum.
However, in the future Belgium might take away refugee status for Syrians. Government officials have said that if Syria becomes stable then they will review the refugee status of Syrians who arrived in the last five years. The Belgium government has said they do not plan to take away residency for people who work in Belgium, speak Flemish fluently, or have children in school.
If you have not applied for asylum
The Belgian government has not made any statements about new asylum applications from Syrians. For that reason, we believe it is likely that Syrians can still submit applications, even though they may not be processed at this time. We will update this article if this changes.
Austria
If you have applied for asylum
The Austrian government has announced that it will stop processing asylum applications from Syrians. They will also stop processing family reunification applications.
If you already have asylum
The Austrian government has announced plans to create a program to return Syrians living in Austria to Syria. They have not announced if this program will affect all Syrians in Austria. The Austrian government is currently reviewing the cases of Syrians who were granted protected status in the past five years.
As of the time of this writing, this program is not currently live and the Austrian government cannot force you to return to Syria until it is safe.
The Austrian government also said they will offer all displaced Syrians €1,000 to return to Syria.
If you have not applied for asylum
The Austrian government has not made any statements about new asylum applications from Syrians. For that reason, we believe it is likely that Syrians can still submit applications, even though they may not be processed at this time. We will update this article if this changes.
Greece
If you have applied for asylum
The Greek government has announced that it will temporarily stop processing asylum applications from Syrians until more is known about the future government of the country. This means that they are waiting to make a decision about Syrian asylum requests that have been submitted to the government but have not yet been approved or denied. If you have submitted an application, but the Greek government hasn’t made a decision, you may not receive one for several months.
If you already have asylum
The Greek government has not made any statements about whether Syrians who have already been granted asylum could lose their status.
If you have not applied for asylum
The Greek government has said that people from Syria are still allowed to submit asylum applications.
I heard that UNHCR has said that different countries should let Syrians stay. Is that true? What does that mean?
UNHCR is the group that manages refugee issues for the United Nations. In December 2024, they gave a statement that said that they believe governments should not force Syrians to go home or take away refugee status from Syrians at this time. This is only a recommendation, and governments do not have to follow it.
I live somewhere outside of Syria and I applied for my family to join me. Will their applications still be considered?
At this time, we don’t have information about how different governments will process applications for family reunification (when you have applied to bring someone in your family to live in your country).
When I applied for asylum, it was because I was being persecuted for expressing my political opinion under the Assad regime. Now that the government has changed, do I still qualify for asylum?
To answer this question, we need to clarify what we mean by “asylum.” When we say asylum, we are talking about applying for protection in a new country after you have arrived in that country.
In general, if the original reason that you were afraid to return to your home country no longer exists, then you may not qualify for asylum unless you can explain a different reason why you will be persecuted if you go back. If you are able to access legal assistance, a lawyer may be able to help you revise your application and address other questions that are specific to your case. Every case is different, so we are not able to give advice on your specific case.
I applied for refugee status with UNHCR because I was being persecuted for expressing my political opinion under the Assad regime. Now that the government has changed, what will happen to my application?
At this time, we don’t have information about if or how UNHCR will change how it provides refugee status to Syrians. For general information about UNHCR’s refugee status determination process, please click here.
I am a Syrian refugee and I have already applied for resettlement in another country. What will happen to my application?
By resettlement, we mean the process of applying for refugee protection and residence in one country (e.g. U.S.A., France, Sweden, Germany) while living in another country (e.g. Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye). Usually this is done through UNHCR, but sometimes it can be done through other application processes.
Every case is different, and the answer to this will depend on the type of resettlement program you applied for, what country you applied to, and the details of your case. At this time, we do not have specific information about changes to resettlement procedures for Syrians who have applied for resettlement to any of the countries listed in this article.
I am concerned that I will be harmed by the new government. Can I still apply for asylum?
It is also important for this question to clarify what we mean by “asylum.” When we say asylum, we are talking about applying for protection in a new country after you have arrived in that country.
Many countries have paused processing asylum applications for Syrians, and whether or not you can submit a new application will depend on the country you are asking for asylum.
It is important to note that in general, to qualify for asylum, you will need to meet the following qualifications:
- You are not in your home country.
- You have experienced persecution, or very serious harm, in your home country or have a good reason to think you will experience harm if you return. This persecution can mean past physical harm, sexual harm, emotional harm, and/or psychological harm and serious threats of future harm.
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You were persecuted (seriously harmed) or are afraid you will be persecuted (be seriously harmed) because of one or more of these things about you:
- Your race
- Your religion
- Your political views
- Your nationality
- Your membership in a particular social group (such as gender, sexual orientation, or family group)
- You were persecuted (seriously harmed) or were scared of facing persecution (serious harm) by the government or someone the government cannot or will not protect you from.
- You have no place in your home country where you could be safe.
In the past, some countries have accepted asylum claims because the person was afraid of being persecuted by someone who was not part of the Assad government. For Syrians who fear being harmed by the new government or by other groups or individuals in Syria, it may be possible to apply for asylum. However, if the country you want to go to has paused processing applications for all Syrians, it is likely that your application would also be delayed.
Finally, and most importantly: Because every case is different, it is not possible to say whether your application would qualify for asylum. If you are able to access legal advice, an attorney should be able to help you identify your options. For more information on asylum in the United States, please click here. For more information on how UNHCR works with people to determine refugee status and help with resettlement, please click here.