Starting from Monday, December 9, the Netherlands has begun to implement internal land border controls with its two Schengen neighboring countries – Belgium and Germany. As the Syrian Assad regime collapses, Germany and other European countries are tightening their immigration policies.
In Germany, the Ministry of Interior spokesperson stated on Monday that following the downfall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has suspended all asylum applications for Syrians until further notice.
There are over 800,000 Syrians in Germany, most of whom are part of more than 1 million refugees allowed entry by former Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2015.
BAMF data shows that Syria is the largest source country of refugees in Germany this year. As of the end of November, Syrian refugees have submitted 72,420 asylum applications, with around 47,270 applications affected by the suspension.
Germany is set to hold early elections in February next year, with immigration being considered one of the important issues facing the country’s citizens.
Bavarian State Governor and leader of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), Markus Soeder, stated on Monday that BAMF made the “right decision.”
He said in a press conference, “We even must consider how to repatriate more people back to their Syrian homeland.”
In Austria, the caretaker government also announced on Monday that they have halted processing asylum applications for Syrians as rebel forces seize Damascus and President Assad flees to Russia.
During the 13-year civil war in Syria, millions of Syrians were forced to flee their country. During the European migration crisis in 2015 and 2016, over 1 million people went to Germany and neighboring Austria, with Syrians making up a significant portion.
The Austrian Ministry of the Interior stated in a release that “Chancellor Karl Nehammer instructed Interior Minister Gerhard Karner to suspend all current asylum applications from Syrians today and review all granted cases.”
Karner added that he has directed the ministry to develop a plan for the orderly return and deportation of Syrians. The security situation in Syria will be reassessed before resuming deportations.
So far, Syrians make up the largest group of asylum applicants in Austria, with 12,871 applications submitted by November this year.
Nehammer and Karner are from the conservative People’s Party (OVP) and have taken a tough stance on immigration.
The Ministry of Interior mentioned that out of the 12,886 asylum applications by Syrians, none have received a first or second-instance decision, with 1,146 based on family reunification.
The Netherlands, along with Belgium and Germany, will continue to implement six months of border controls. However, according to Schengen News, during this period, transit passengers will not see significant changes as only random vehicle checks will be conducted.
Back in November, Dutch Immigration Minister Marjolein Faber decided to implement internal border checks. She stated that this measure aims to address irregular migration issues.
Faber further pointed out that through introducing border controls, the Netherlands also hopes to prevent human trafficking in a “specific way.”
Despite this, the government has not increased border police deployments, and most of the borders between the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany will remain unmanned.
There are over 800 transit points between the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Due to the large number, Dutch authorities are unable to deploy additional forces at every transit point. Currently, only 50 border police officers have been assigned.
According to Dutch Times, Dutch authorities will continue the practice of conducting random checks on passengers in cars from mobile inspection stations. They advise travelers to carry travel documents with them.
German border police said they will cooperate with their counterparts. Through joint efforts, they aim to further prevent irregular entries and expedite returns.
A senior official from the Greek government told Reuters on Monday that Greece has also suspended asylum applications for approximately 9,000 Syrians following the downfall of Syrian President Assad.