Assad's fall, Syrian refugees, and Europe's migration debate

The Greek Current

The fall of the Assad regime has put the migration issue back in the limelight in Europe, with a number of European countries, including Greece, announcing they were freezing asylum applications for Syrians or suggesting it’s time they prepare to return home. Many are pointing out that these reactions seem premature, however, as Syria’s future remains uncertain, and many Syrian refugees have put down roots in their new countries. Eleni Varvitsioti, the correspondent for Greece and Cyprus at the Financial Times, joins Thanos Davelis to look into Europe’s reaction to Assad’s fall and its impact on the continent’s ongoing migration debate.

You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:

‘We need time’: Syrians in Europe resist calls to return home

Several EU nations and the UK pause asylum claims from Syrians

Syrian refugees in Europe are not about to flock home

Mitsotakis to visit Lebanon on Monday

Greece to buy artillery systems from Israel and drones from US, officials say