A Syrian plastic surgeon living in London is facing deportation after the Home Office revoked his refugee status and concluded that he and his family can now safely go back to Syria.
The man arrived in the UK in 2016 after fleeing the Assad regime and is understood to be among the first Syrian refugees in Britain to have his protection cancelled. He lives in the capital with his wife and their six children, three of whom are studying at university.
The case is thought to be the first in Europe in which refugee status has been actively removed from Syrians since the fall of the Assad regime, even though a number of European countries are pushing voluntary returns. It is also believed to be the first occasion on which the Home Office has cancelled refugee protection for a whole nationality, a step expected to affect thousands of Syrians settled in the UK.
The Home Office letter informed the surgeon that his refugee status had been ceased. It said that while officials accept the situation in Syria remains “complex”, they regard the changes there as so significant that his fear of persecution and serious harm can no longer be treated as well founded.
Foreign Office guidance continues to advise against all travel to Syria, describing the security situation there as “volatile” and warning that fighting and violence, including artillery and airstrikes, can flare up unpredictably. The same guidance notes a humanitarian crisis in the country, citing a lack of infrastructure, water, sanitation and health services.
The UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, has told governments not to return refugees to Syria. In its most recent guidance it stated: “UNHCR calls on states to refrain from implementing cessation exercises until such time as the situation in Syria has seen significant improvements in overall stability.”
The surgeon said: “I am so shocked by the Home Office’s decision to withdraw refugee protection. I brought my family to what I considered to be a safe place. We have integrated well but now my refugee status has been cancelled.”
He said he had worked as a plastic surgeon in Syria and had converted his medical qualifications so that he is registered with the General Medical Council to practise as a doctor in the UK. He currently works in a GP surgery and hopes to return to plastic surgery.
He added that he does not believe Syria would be safe for him, saying he was targeted there by radical groups that are still operating and that he does not think the current Syrian government could protect him from them.
The surgeon said he had heard of a few other families whose refugee status had been removed on the same basis, with the Home Office stating that Syria is now a safe country to return to. He delayed telling his family about the letter in order to spare them sadness for a few more days, and said they are all in shock. His three eldest children are studying neuroscience, cybersecurity and pharmacy at university.
“It’s unsafe for all of us to go back to Syria. By revoking our refugee status the Home Office is depriving us of the right to live our lives,” he said.
Manini Menon of Duncan Lewis, the family’s solicitor, said: “It is regrettable that the home secretary has seen fit to target Syrian refugees and their families as part of her pledge to reduce net migration figures. This is a cynical and unprecedented step which will have devastating consequences for a group of people who have rebuilt their lives in the UK with considerable effort, contributing to their communities and putting down roots here.”
Ms Menon added that the evidence on Syria is clear and that conditions in the country do not allow the home secretary to lawfully conclude they have stabilised to the point where refugees can safely be returned.
The Home Office said: “Britain will always provide protection to genuine refugees, and we will never return anyone to danger. When it is safe for someone to return to their home country, they will be expected to do so. We continue to work closely with governments around the world to develop and maintain returns agreements, including with Syria.”
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