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IHREC wants clarity on Syria asylum pause

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has asked the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to clarify why she has announced a temporary pause on the issuing of final decisions on international protection (IP) for people from Syria. 

The commission said that, while the Assad regime had collapsed, the situation in Syria was “far from stable”.  

It added that significant concerns have been raised by international bodies and organisations on the ground in Syria about the record of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which it said was only one of several militias controlling different parts of the country. 

‘Blanket’ decisions 

The human-rights body said that IP applicants from Syria remained entitled to a decision on their status “with due expedition”. 

It added that it would be “most concerned” if general, or blanket, decisions were taken in relation to IP applications from Syrian nationals. 

IHREC’s letter to Minister McEntee has asked her to:

• Provide more clarity on the nature of any proposed ‘pause’ and its expected duration,
• Indicate the legal basis for the introduction of this ‘pause’,
• Beyond the delay in receiving a final determination, clarify the practical implications (if any) for Syrian IP applicants already in the system, and those who present seeking asylum after 10 December 2024, and
• Describe the likely possible outcomes of such a ‘pause’ from the minister’s perspective. 

‘Unstable’ 

It has also asked her what steps the Department of Justice is taking to communicate with IP applicants and address “uncertainty and confusion” within the Syrian community. 

Liam Herrick (chief commissioner) said: “In a time of high conflict and rapidly shifting circumstances, when Syria remains unsafe and unstable, IHREC does not believe there is any justification for pausing the process of asylum, and that protecting victims who have fled war and persecution must remain the State’s priority.  

“We would welcome clarification from the minister on the legal basis for this temporary pause in processing applications for this group of people,” he added.