The UK government has restarted processing asylum and settlement claims from Syrian nationals, ending a seven-month freeze that began following the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December.

In a written statement to Parliament on Monday, Asylum Minister Dame Angela Eagle confirmed that the Home Office has resumed decisions on Syrian cases, stating it now has “sufficient information to make accurate and well-evidenced determinations.” The temporary suspension, she said, was necessary due to the sudden power vacuum in Syria and the lack of clarity surrounding the emerging political landscape.

The pause affected over 7,000 Syrian nationals residing in the UK—many of whom had previously been granted temporary protection. During the suspension, thousands were left in legal limbo, unable to work or secure permanent housing, and forced to live in government-funded hotels or short-term accommodation.

With the introduction of updated country guidance and a shifting geopolitical context, the UK is now moving not only to process backlogged and new claims but also to consider initiating forced returns. A senior Home Office official suggested deportations could begin before year’s end, noting, “The first removals are not a million miles away.”

The new guidance outlines a case-by-case assessment approach, placing the burden on applicants to demonstrate a “well-founded fear of persecution.” The Home Office clarified that while general instability or a breakdown in law and order in Syria is concerning, it does not alone meet the threshold for asylum.

However, the government acknowledges that certain groups remain at heightened risk. These include Kurds living in areas controlled by Turkish-backed factions, and members of the Alawite minority—formerly aligned with the Assad regime—who may still face targeted violence. In March, HTS-linked forces were accused of killing nearly 800 Alawites in retaliatory attacks.

Conversely, groups such as Christians, Druze, and Shia Muslims are now considered less likely to face systematic persecution under the new HTS-led interim administration, according to the revised guidance.

This policy shift follows a historic visit to Damascus by Foreign Secretary David Lammy—the first by a British minister in over a decade—signaling a cautious re-engagement with Syria. It also aligns the UK with a growing number of European nations, including Austria, that have resumed processing Syrian claims and even carried out deportations.

Analysts suggest the UK government was concerned about becoming a “pull factor” for Syrian asylum seekers if it lagged behind other countries on returns. This concern has intensified amid political pressure to curb irregular migration, especially small boat crossings, and in the wake of a new bilateral migration pact with France, which includes a “one in, one out” refugee agreement.

The resumption of Syrian asylum processing marks a significant turning point in UK migration policy and reflects broader recalibrations in European responses to the post-Assad era.