Is Syria ‘safe’ enough for refugees to be sent back?
There’s an ongoing discussion in a number of European countries about whether Syria is safe enough to reject asylum applications. This would mean that Syrians who have exhausted all asylum appeals are sent back to Syria. On current affairs programme ‘Nieuwsuur’, Mark Klaassen, Assistant Professor of Migration Law, explains the definition of ‘safe’ according to asylum law.
Eight countries, including Denmark, now consider the situation in certain regions of Syria to be safe. Italy is even attempting to restore relations with President Assad in order to enable repatriation. The Netherlands and Germany still consider Syria to be unsafe for the time being, but as Nieuwsuur reports, this view appears to be changing.
Professor Klaassen explains that asylum law allows certain countries and regions to be designated as safe, which – except for individual asylum grounds – eliminates the need for international protection. He adds that ‘not everyone from a specific country needs to be given protection’; it depends on the region the refugee comes from and the reasons behind their asylum.
A key, ever-present consideration is whether the person being deported is at risk of being in danger in their country or region of origin in the future. Professor Klaassen says, ‘The country policy is constantly being amended, as the danger assessment in the country of origin is constantly changing, too’. The administrative decision to amend the policy is taken by officials at the Dutch Ministries of Asylum and Migration and Foreign Affairs, rather than politicians.
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