Several EU member states have suspended asylum claims from Syrians following the collapse of the Assad regime. Euronews spoke with a Syrian refugee in Berlin to hear a story of how moving to Europe changed his family's life.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fadi Zaim loves Berlin and loves Germany. The co-owner of the Jasmin catering company, based in Germany's capital, arrived as a Syrian refugee in Germany in 2013.
Originally born in Damascus, Fadi feels at home in Berlin, and has even catered for former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
He has built a successful business over the past 12 years, and despite the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Damascus, he tells Euronews he wouldn't go back.
"I love Berlin. I love Germany because, truly, we had many great people with big hearts who opened up the whole city," he says, stirring tahini into chickpeas to make his "best in Berlin" hummus and explaning that he feels like he is part of the Berlin community that supported him.
"They supported us in learning the language and starting a business."
Fadi is a success story. His family moved from the Syrian capital after the nightmarish trajectory of the country's civil conflict became clear. His family was granted a visa thanks to a special program involving the German government and the UN, under which 500 families were invited.
When he first came to Berlin, Fadi was enrolled in a school — but after repeatedly telling his teacher how exceptional Syrian food is, he was invited to cook for 50 people.
Since he didn't have experience of cooking for so many people at once, he asked for help from his mother, whose hobby back in Damascus had been cooking for large groups of people as a volunteer.
The guests were pleased with their meal, and a second request for catering came in. And that is how Fadi accidentally started his catering company with his mother in Berlin.
"Germany has done many great things, at least based on my own experience and what I see in terms of support for non-profit organisations," he says. "I’ve worked with many accelerators that support small businesses and help people access government funding and learn the German language."
"They provide support for apprenticeships, all the things that the job centre offers. They provide guidance, but there just needs to be a push, a little pressure from the government on companies and the private sector."
But early in December, after al-Assad fled to Russia as opposition forces took control of Damascus, Germany decided to pause asylum applications from Syrians. As many as 47,000 applicants are thought to be affected by the decision.
Nonetheless, Fadi believes it's still not safe to return to Syria.
"Al-Assad was in power in Syria for 50 years, and now he is gone. But the challenge right now is for the government to identify and clean out the remnants of al-Assad’s old regime, because it persists."
"The asylum process is ongoing, but it is still not safe to return just because the government is gone, al-Assad is gone."
The systems that were in place under al-Assad are still there, and it will take a while for changes to be implemented, he argues.
Fadi is positive about Germany's integration processes; after all, he owes his successful business to them, and he doesn't think they should end because al-Assad is no longer in power.
'Don't stop integration'
"Many people have integrated into Germany, from Syria and other countries, but there are also those who have not integrated properly," Fadi explains. "I believe that there should be more engagement from the authorities here to offer a strong integration program for refugees, so they can integrate into the job market more quickly."
"However, some people are not doing anything at all, and there needs to be a clear program to reintegrate them to their homes. But not for everyone — and the process [of integrattion] should not be stopped."
Over the weekend, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said Syrians who do not work should return to Syria. Fadi pointed out that in many cases, this puts the onus in the wrong place.
"I know many people who want to enter the job market, but they always face challenges with implementation. Many people work in the medical field, in hospitals, delivery services, or the restaurant industry."
"But still, there are people who, for example, are working in IT or are still looking for work. They constantly face the challenge of finding secure employment from the company’s side. This is where the city can provide support because they need skilled workers. But this requires a trial period."
The successful caterer suggests a trial period, pointing out Germany's labour shortage. According to Germany's Federal Employment Agency, as many as 700,000 positions are currently open.
"There also needs to be government support to ensure people can enter the job market."
A new Syria?
In Italy, which has processed fewer Syrian asylum requests than any other EU member state, the government has decided to pause applications altogether. Human Rights organisations have condemned the move.
Riccardo Noury, spokesperson for Amnesty International Italy, points out to Euronews that Italy was the first EU country to reopen its embassy in Damascus, a signal that the country's situation is stable — even though, in his opinion, that is not yet the reality.
"That’s why the decision to freeze asylum requests for an unlimited time is simply reckless. And it’s in contrast with a EU directive dating back to 2013 and with a decree approved in Italy in 2008," Noury said.
And it's not just Italy: France, Belgium, Austria, Greece, and Sweden have all announced a temporary freeze on Syrian asylum claims. But with the country facing an uncertain future, NGOs are requesting that France in particular take exceptional measures.
Secretary General of the NGO Relief for Syrian Refugees, Frederic Anquetil, is urging the French government to allow refugees to return home without losing their status.
“Exceptional legal provisions exist to allow the return of refugees protected by international law, without them losing their refugee status," he explains. "So we're asking the French government to implement this mechanism so that all the Syrian people planting seeds of freedom and democracy, who took asylum in France, can return to their country and sow these ideas."
He also underlines that the full nature of the caretaking government in Syria is still an unknown, and suggested European governments should wait before making decisions that affect Syrians already within their borders.
"Today, it may be safe for some people, but in three months, we don't know what will happen," he tells Euronews. "So, we repeat: vigilance and caution. We'll judge by the actions of the Syrian authorities, by the first decrees and laws that are going to be instituted."
"We have to be cautious, that refugees who have been granted international protection must retain their status for a year, two years, maybe even three years, until the results of the elections scheduled four years from now."