A Syrian family say they are “fearing for their future” this Christmas after having an imminent decision on their asylum application stopped by the UK government.
Bilal*, 39, worked as a bank manager in Damascus, and has been living in Sheffield with his wife and four children for the past year. He had his second interview about his asylum application in November and had been told by the Home Office that a decision on his case was “very close”.
But his family have been left in limbo after the Home Office suspended about 6,500 asylum claims by Syrians, with the immigration minister Angela Eagle saying the government would like to facilitate the return of refugees to Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Bilal said that even if it were to be deemed safe to return, there was no future for his children, aged 14, 10 and twins aged four, back in Syria.
“It’s terrifying because I know the new regime is just playing a game, trying to win approval from the international community. Once they get it, they’ll do whatever they want, without hesitation or mercy,” he said.
“I can’t put my sadness into words. My eldest is about to take his GCSEs and I can’t give him the stability he needs. How can I tell him we might have to go back to Syria? How can he focus on his studies with this uncertainty?
“There are guns on the street, and the health and education system has collapsed,” Bilal said. “Even if there was no further conflict and they got international help, it will take years to rebuild”
Bilal arrived in the UK last year on a student visa to study for a master’s in banking finance at Sheffield Hallam University, which he completed this September. He applied for asylum in 2023 and had his second interview last month.
He had used savings from the sale of his house in Syria and from 16 years working in banking to be able to leave, not wanting to arrive illegally in the UK. He said: “I don’t want to live like this. We can’t keep hiding, always looking over our shoulders, fearing the police at every turn.”
Under the terms of his student visa, he is allowed to work up to 20 hours a week and is earning up to £800 a month by working 16 hours a week. This has allowed him to pay for private rental accommodation for his family. His wife volunteers with a local English language-support organisation in Sheffield.
He would like to be able to apply to do a PhD or work full-time, but cannot do either without a decision on his asylum application from the Home Office.
“I just want permission to continue my studies and work. I am an educated person who has not relied on his parents or the government. It hurts because so many people think ‘they only came here to live off the system’ but I want to work. I want to pay taxes. I want to contribute,” he said.
“Two weeks ago I called the Home Office and spoke to a man who said he understood my frustrations. He told me ‘you are so close to a decision.’ I have heard nothing since, but I feel my case is done and the decision for me and my family has been taken. You can call it hope.
“My children are asking me ‘what will happen to us?’ How can we celebrate Christmas or new year with the constant fear of being sent back? We are fearful of what will happen.”
* Bilal’s full name has not been used to protect his identity
