Syrians will not be sent back until stability is restored: Belgian premier

ISTANBUL

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Thursday that no Syrian in Belgium will be "sent back" until stability is achieved in Syria, where the Assad regime was overthrown, according to the Belgian official news agency, Belga.

De Croo made statements on the European debate on the "return of Syrians" that began after the overthrow of the Assad regime last Sunday.

"When the situation stabilizes, we have a responsibility to ensure that people can return safely in accordance with international agreements. But today, this is not the case," he said.

Expressing satisfaction with the overthrow of the regime, De Croo noted that the situation "continues to be very unstable" in Syria.

De Croo pointed to the need for a peaceful transition process, representative government and respect for the territorial integrity in Syria, emphasizing that Israel's bombings of the country "must stop immediately."

Following the overthrow of the Assad regime, several EU countries, including Belgium, announced they would review their asylum policies, suspend pending asylum applications from Syrians, or have already suspended them.

Belgium announced Dec. 9 that it would temporarily stop accepting asylum applications from Syrians, though no information was provided on how long the measure would last.

Syrians are among the top applicants for asylum in Belgium.

About 35,000 Syrians have been granted asylum in Belgium since a civil war began there in 2011.