MADRID (Reuters) – Spain will keep processing asylum requests from Syrian nationals as usual following Sunday’s fall of President Bashar al-Assad, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday.
Some European countries, including Germany and France, have suspended the processing of applications by Syrians, but Albares said there was no need to change the approach for now since the number of applications received by Spain was smaller, comparatively.
“At this moment that (suspension) is not necessary and is not being discussed,” he told a news briefing.
In the first 11 months of the year, 1,393 Syrians sought asylum in Spain, according to Interior Ministry data.
Albares also said Spain planned to reinforce its embassy staff in Damascus in the coming days and potentially send a special envoy to Syria in order to start a dialogue with the new authorities, while it hoped for a peaceful transition of power with respect for human rights.
(Reporting by David Latona, writing by Andrei Khalip, editing by Inti Landauro)
