SEM to resume deciding on asylum applications from Syrian nationals

SEM has been monitoring the situation in Syria closely since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government on 8 December 2024. It also carried out a fact-finding mission to Syria and Lebanon in November 2025. Based on the findings from this mission and other information, SEM has updated its asylum practice. From 1 May, it will resume deciding on asylum applications from Syrian nationals. Currently, there are around 850 asylum applications from people from Syria pending at first instance. Several other European countries, including Germany, Austria and France, are also fully or partly resuming decisions on asylum applications from Syrian nationals.

Following this change to asylum practice, SEM will once again review every asylum application individually. SEM takes the position that there is no longer a situation of general violence in all regions of Syria. Removal to these regions may be enforced if there are mitigating circumstances and the individuals concerned would not be placed in a life-threatening situation upon their return. In light of the continuing volatile security situation and the difficult economic and humanitarian conditions, however, SEM does not expect these mitigating circumstances to apply to many asylum seekers at present.

In parallel, SEM is launching a return assistance programme for individuals returning voluntarily to Syria. In addition to the support package of up to EUR 2,600 per person from the Frontex EU Reintegration Programme (EURP), a Swiss grant of CHF 1,000 per person will be provided. For this purpose, the EURP works with partner organisations International Returns and Reintegration Assistance (IRARA) and the European Technology and Training Centre (ETTC), which offer programmes locally. In the second half of 2025, 60 people relocated to Syria with return assistance from Switzerland.

Asylum decisions suspended since December 2024

On 9 December 2024, following the change of power in Syria, SEM decided to suspend deciding on asylum applications from Syrian nationals until further notice. Due to the volatile political situation, SEM was no longer able to properly assess whether individuals were at risk of persecution. On 1 September 2025, SEM resumed deciding on applications from vulnerable persons whose grounds for asylum do not meet the legal definition of the term refugee. Since that date, it has also been assessing whether removals can be enforced against persons who have committed serious criminal offences.