Palestinian refugees coming from Syria have been affected by the suspension of the asylum application examinations for Syrians, a decision made at the national level in mid-December. Since then, no asylum decisions have been issued in such cases, even though the circumstances and asylum claims of Palestinians from Syria differ significantly from those of Syrian nationals.

Equal Rights Beyond Borders submitted a complaint to the Greek Ombudsman, representing two such cases. We argued that Palestinians in Syria have been historically deprived of basic rights and Syrian statehood, as well as faced serious socio-economic challenges. Additionally, UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, has been struggling to provide them with necessary aid until today.

We highlighted that Palestinian refugees from Syria have already had their refugee status recognized there. Greece is obligated to uphold this recognition for Palestinians who do not have access to rights in Syria, effective immediately. Failing to do so would amount to a denial of a refugee's right to protection and assistance.

In response to our complaint, the Greek Ombudsman urged the Greek Asylum Service to “consider lifting the suspension of the asylum application examinations for Palestinians whose last country of habitual residence was Syria”.

The Greek State’s decision to suspend the asylum application examinations for Syrian nationals is flawed altogether as it disregards the ongoing situation in Syria, the reported human rights violations there and the instability that is unlikely to be resolved soon. As a result of this unjust decision thousands of Syrians have found themselves in a state of limbo for a long time. Notably, many of them have been forced to remain for months on the border islands without access to employment opportunities or cash assistance, while their applications remain frozen.

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