Syria reside updates: Israel launches greater than 350 strikes as US troops to remain in Syria | EUROtoday

The Independent yesterday reported the UK paused choices on Syrian asylum claims as a result of uncertainty following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Millions of Syrians fled the nation after the outbreak of civil struggle and the Assad regime’s brutal crackdown on opponents.

The UK shouldn’t be the one nation to take action, nonetheless. Here is what European international locations have finished:

Austria: Austria’s caretaker authorities on Monday ordered a cease to the processing of asylum functions by Syrians. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner advised the ministry to arrange a programme of “orderly repatriation and deportation to Syria“.

Belgium: The Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons said on Monday it would temporarily suspend processing cases until it has sufficient information to assess the security situation in Syria and the risk of persecution.

Croatia: Croatia said on Tuesday it had temporarily suspended asylum applications from Syrians.

Denmark: Denmark paused processing applications on Monday and said Syrians whose applications had already been rejected, and who had been given a deadline to leave, would be allowed to remain longer due to the current uncertainty.

France: The interior ministry said on Monday it was working on a suspension of current asylum cases from Syria, with a decision expected shortly.

Germany: The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees on Monday put all applications from Syrian nationals on hold until further notice.

Netherlands: The Netherlands will withhold for six months decisions on applications it received less than 21 months ago, Asylum and Migration Minister Marjolein Faber said in a note on Monday.

Qatar says it will reopen its embassy in Syria, allowing it to boost the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged country.

In a statement published on social media platform X, the Qatari foreign ministry said the reopening of the diplomatic presence in Syria signified “Qatar’s steadfast support for the brotherly Syrian people, who are striving to build their state on the foundations of justice, peace, stability and prosperity.”

Russian intelligence brokers organised the swift escape of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad after convincing him he would lose to encroaching insurgent forces.

News company Bloomberg stories Russia provided Assad a secure exit if he left the nation instantly, in recent element of the escape attributed to a number of, unnamed sources with information of the dramatic occasions.

Russia has now issued a number of warnings over the instability within the nation after Syrian miltant group HTS led the rebellion towards Damascus that led to the Assad regime’s toppling 13 years after the start of the civil struggle.

Russia has warned the overthrow of the Assad regime means there’s a actual hazard Islamic State will increase its head once more.

Russia’s international ministry issued the warning on Wednesday whereas cautioning different nations to chorus from provocative language that might lengthen instability in Syria as a brand new interim authorities backed by insurgent forces takes maintain.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mentioned on Wednesday that Russian services and belongings in Syria had been protected by conventions of worldwide regulation.

Russia has a significant air base in Latakia province and a naval facility at Tartous, its solely Mediterranean restore and replenishment hub.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned earlier Russia was involved with these in cost in Syria and that it was hopeful stability could be achieved, enjoying down the harm finished to Russian affect within the area.

Iranian intelligence had warned the Syrian authorities about threats to its stability over the past three months, Iran‘s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.

Iran’s Tasnim information company reported the ayatollah’s feedback on Wednesday, including that Damascus had “neglected the enemy” forward of Bashar al-Assad fleeing the nation as his regime fell to insurgent insurgents.

Ayatollah Khamenei earlier condemned the occasions of the weekend as the results of a US and Israeli plot to overthrow the Syrian dictactorship, which was backed by Iran and Russia.

He labelled the rebel a “joint American-Zionist plot” carried out by militant group HTS.

The Kremlin has performed down the harm to Russian affect within the Middle East from the autumn of Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad, saying that its focus was Ukraine.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Russia was involved with hose in cost in Syria and that it was hopeful stability could be achieved.

When Russia intervened within the Syrian Civil War in 2015, it helped tip the steadiness in Assad‘s favour, so his fall from power dealt a serious setback to both Russia, which is fighting a major land war in Ukraine, and to Iran, which is battling US- backed Israel across the Middle East.

Asked how much the fall of Assad had weakened Russia’s affect within the area, Mr Peskov mentioned Moscow’s precedence was the struggle in Ukraine, which Russian president Vladimir Putin calls a “special military operation”.

“The special military operation is the absolute priority for our country: we must ensure the interests of our security, the interests of our Russian people, and we shall do so,” Peskov mentioned on Wednesday.

Moscow has supported Syria because the early days of the Cold War, recognising its independence in 1944 as Damascus sought to throw off French colonial rule.

Part of Israel’s navy exercise in Syria in latest days has been to occupy Golan Heights, a area within the south-west nook of Syria near each Lebanon and Israel.

The Kremlin on Wednesday warned Israel’s actions wouldn’t assist stabilise the nation.

On Monday, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller mentioned on that Israel was defending itself from militant teams occupying areas alongside the border which may very well be used to launch offensives.

He additionally claimed that the occupation of 5 Syrian villages throughout the Golan Heights was short-term, and wouldn’t quantity to a everlasting growth of Israeli territory.

Israel itself, nonetheless, refuted that assertion straight only a few hours later, as soon as once more placing the Biden administration within the nearly sure place of getting unfold falsehoods to the American public.

The Kremlin says guaranteeing the safety of Russia’s navy bases and diplomatic missions in Syria is of paramount significance.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Moscow was sustaining contacts with these in cost in Syria and that it was hopeful stability could be achieved.

Russia, whose airforce carried out strikes towards advancing Syrian rebels earlier this month, earlier than Bashar al-Assad’s regime was toppled, has a key air base in Latakia province and a naval facility at Tartous, its solely Mediterranean restore and replenishment.

The Kremlin additionally took intention at Israel’s strikes towards the Golan Heights area, within the border space abbutting Israel and Lebanon, after Israeli forces moved into the territory to stop militant teams from occupying areas alongside the border which may very well be used to launch offensives into its territory.

Russia mentioned Israel’s actions on the entrance had been unlikely to contribute to Syria’s stabilisation.

For over half a century, one household dominated Syria. Yet almost in a single day, as rebels superior by way of the nation and finally reached the capital, Damascus, that brutal reign got here to an finish.

After 13 years of civil struggle beneath the iron-fisted rule of former Syrian chief Bashar al-Assad, there may be now hope for thousands and thousands of Syrians who endured a marketing campaign of barrel bombs, compelled disappearances and torture.

But many questions stay as occasion traces shift and alliances within the area endure dramatic modifications.

How will the autumn of the Assad regime reshape geopolitical dynamics worldwide, and what does it imply for key political gamers?

Pope Francis has referred to as on the Syrian rebels who toppled the Assad regime to stabilise the nation, and govern in a means that promotes nationwide unity.

“I hope they find political solutions that, without other conflicts or divisions, responsibly promote the stability and unity of the country,” the pontiff mentioned throughout his weekly viewers on the Vatican.

The pope, in his first public remarks about Syria because the ending of al-Assad’s rule, additionally referred to as on the nation’s various non secular teams to “walk together in friendship and mutual respect for the good of the nation”.

The nation’s interim management has this week moved to quell western fears of extremist violence in Syria.

Pope Francis has decried the casualties within the Syrian battle at varied factors through the years, and in 2016 he took the weird step of constructing the Vatican’s ambassador to the nation a cardinal, the second-highest rank within the Church.