02/12/2024 – 17/12/2024
- On 8 December, after 13 years of civil war and nearly five decades of brutal rule by the Assad regime, the dictator fled the country after ten days of intense rebel attacks. The conflict has forcibly displaced more than 13 million Syrians, 6.4 million of whom have sought refuge abroad, 5.1 million of whom lived in neighboring countries. Several countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Sweden and Switzerland, decided to temporarily suspend asylum applications from Syrians just one day after the fall of Assad. Thousands of people will have to wait up to 21 months for a decision on their application, while those who already have refugee status risk losing it if they decide to visit their country of origin.