The head of UN's refugee agency cautioned that 'patience and vigilance' were needed on the issue of refugee returns.
Britain, Germany, France, Italy and several other European countries said they would freeze all pending asylum requests from Syrians, just days after the removal of President Bashar al-Assad. While Berlin and other governments said they were watching the fast-moving developments in the war-ravaged nation, Austria signalled it would soon deport refugees back to Syria.
"The political situation in Syria has changed fundamentally and, above all, rapidly in recent days," the ministry said, adding it is "currently monitoring and analysing the new situation". The French interior ministry said it too would put asylum requests from Syrians on hold, with authorities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway announcing similar moves.
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