Italy joins other European nations, suspends Syrians' asylum claims

Italy announced on Monday that it too is temporarily suspending its asylum procedures for Syrians, following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.

In doing so it is following the example of other European partners, according to the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Earlier, Meloni had met with ministers in Rome to assess the development of the situation in Syria.

In Germany, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) also halted all decisions on asylum applications from Syria for now.

Rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized control of the capital Damascus following more than a decade of bloody civil war in the country, with al-Assad leaving for Russia. His family had ruled Syria for more than two decades.

On German streets, thousands of Syrians celebrated the overthrow in their old homeland.