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European Countries Halt Syrian Asylum Applications after Assad’s Fall

A man sells opposition flags at the Al-Hamidiyeh market inside the old walled city of Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP)
A man sells opposition flags at the Al-Hamidiyeh market inside the old walled city of Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP)
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European Countries Halt Syrian Asylum Applications after Assad’s Fall

A man sells opposition flags at the Al-Hamidiyeh market inside the old walled city of Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP)
A man sells opposition flags at the Al-Hamidiyeh market inside the old walled city of Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP)

Many European countries have put asylum applications from Syrians on hold after the opposition seized the Syrian capital and President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia following 13 years of civil war.

Here is what European countries have done:

AUSTRIA

Austria's caretaker government on Monday ordered a stop to the processing of asylum applications by Syrians. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said he had told the ministry to prepare a program of "orderly repatriation and deportation to Syria".

BRITAIN

Britain has paused decisions on Syrian asylum claims to assess the situation, a government spokesperson said on Monday.

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.

FINLAND

The Finnish migration authority, which currently has 350 asylum applications from Syrian nationals, said on Tuesday it had paused handling them.

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.

GREECE

Greece has paused asylum applications of about 9,000 Syrians, with a meeting planned for Friday to finalize the move, a senior government official told Reuters on Monday.

ITALY

Italy's government said on Monday it would pause asylum applications from Syria.

NORWAY

Norwegian immigration authorities said on Monday that Syrians' asylum applications would neither be denied nor approved for now.

POLAND

The Polish Office for Foreigners will not issue decisions on Syrian citizens' applications for international protection until the situation in Syria is clarified, Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Duszcyk said on Tuesday in a post on X.

SWEDEN

The Swedish migration agency said on Monday it had paused decisions on Syrian asylum applications, saying it was not possible to assess the need for protection.

SWITZERLAND

The Swiss government said on Tuesday it had temporarily suspended asylum procedures for Syrians until it can better assess the situation in the country.

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World

Kremlin Says EU Not Ready to Mediate Ukraine Peace Deal

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 09 June 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (EPA)
Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 09 June 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (EPA)
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Kremlin Says EU Not Ready to Mediate Ukraine Peace Deal

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 09 June 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (EPA)
Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 09 June 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (EPA)

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that the European Union was likely far from ready to act as a mediator in any ‌Ukraine peace ‌process and ‌appeared ⁠to be more focused ⁠on continuing the war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comment to journalists when ⁠asked about ‌the ‌possibility of the ‌EU stepping in as ‌a mediator while US-led negotiations are on hold.

"First of ‌all, starting mediation efforts by putting ⁠forward certain ⁠conditions to Russia is likely illogical and wrong. And, of course, this is unacceptable to us," Peskov said.

World

Putin to Decide on Armenia’s Pashinyan Congratulations After Official Election Results, Kremlin Says

Armenian Prime Minister and leader of the Civil Contract party Nikol Pashinyan holds a press conference following the parliamentary election at the party's headquarters in Yerevan early on June 8, 2026. (AFP)
Armenian Prime Minister and leader of the Civil Contract party Nikol Pashinyan holds a press conference following the parliamentary election at the party's headquarters in Yerevan early on June 8, 2026. (AFP)
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Putin to Decide on Armenia’s Pashinyan Congratulations After Official Election Results, Kremlin Says

Armenian Prime Minister and leader of the Civil Contract party Nikol Pashinyan holds a press conference following the parliamentary election at the party's headquarters in Yerevan early on June 8, 2026. (AFP)
Armenian Prime Minister and leader of the Civil Contract party Nikol Pashinyan holds a press conference following the parliamentary election at the party's headquarters in Yerevan early on June 8, 2026. (AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin will decide later whether to congratulate Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his election victory, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, underlining that Moscow is ‌waiting for ‌the formal outcome of ‌the ⁠vote before making ⁠any announcements.

Commenting on the parliamentary election, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated remarks made a day ⁠earlier that there had been ‌reports ‌of violations, while stopping ‌short of offering a ‌broader assessment of the vote or its legitimacy.

Armenia's governing Civil Contract ‌party won an election seen as a test ⁠of ⁠its handling of a peace deal with Azerbaijan and its growing turn to the West, despite what international election observers called blatant interference and pressure by Russia.

World

Hundreds Evacuated as Waves Batter New Zealand Capital

Stormy seas pound the coastline of Island Bay, a suburb of the New Zealand capital Wellington. Ben STRANG / AFP
Stormy seas pound the coastline of Island Bay, a suburb of the New Zealand capital Wellington. Ben STRANG / AFP
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Hundreds Evacuated as Waves Batter New Zealand Capital

Stormy seas pound the coastline of Island Bay, a suburb of the New Zealand capital Wellington. Ben STRANG / AFP
Stormy seas pound the coastline of Island Bay, a suburb of the New Zealand capital Wellington. Ben STRANG / AFP

Authorities evacuated hundreds of people from their seaside homes in New Zealand's capital on Tuesday as 11-meter (36-foot) waves lashed the coast.

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little declared a state of emergency on the eve of the swells for seaside residents in Owhiro Bay, Island Bay, Houghton Bay and Breaker Bay.

"You must stay away from the southern coastline," Little said in a statement, warning that emergency workers would not be coming to help anyone who stayed behind.

The evacuation order took effect on Tuesday morning, with police brought in to ensure people moved to higher ground, said AFP.

Officers set up cordons on surrounding roads to prevent people from heading to the coast.

The council said a similar event in 2021 affected many homes in Breaker Bay, and waves during that storm were about 6.5 meters.

Waves entering Wellington Harbour on Tuesday were measured at 11 meters, New Zealand's MetService said.

Wind gusts were so strong at Island Bay that two women were knocked off their feet as waves washed up over the road, an AFP journalist saw.

Some flights were cancelled at Wellington Airport where wind gusts were recorded of up to 128 kilometers per hour (80 miles per hour).

A small plane from local carrier Golden Bay Air tipped onto its side in the wind while parked at the airport with no-one aboard.

Airline boss Richard Molloy told national broadcaster RNZ that fire fighters had secured the plane to the ground.