SYRIANS in Britain whose lives have been “frozen” have urged MPs to rule out coercive returns, warning that uncertainty over their future has left families “terrified.”

Following the fall of Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad in December, the Home Office paused decision-making on asylum applications from Syrian nationals.

The indefinite freeze affected at least 7,000 people awaiting asylum decisions and many more who had applied for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after gaining refugee status.

For asylum-seekers, the pause meant months of being banned from work and struggling to survive on less than £50 a week in asylum support while living in often inadequate accommodation.

On Monday, the government confirmed that decision-making was resuming.

Home Office Minister Dame Angela Eagle said the pause had been lifted “as soon as there was sufficient information to make accurate and well-evidenced determinations.”

She described the seven-month delay as “a necessary step” due to a lack of stable and objective information about the risks of return to Syria.

Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon welcomed the end of the pause, but he stressed that the past few months had “left Syrian people trapped in further limbo, unable to work, move on with their lives and fearing for their future.”

He added: “However, the situation in Syria continues to be unstable and we urge the government to ensure that every asylum application is assessed on a case-by-case basis, ensuring the safety and protection of Syrians who would face extreme risk if they are returned.”

Ahead of the announcement, a group of Syrians affected by the pause travelled to Parliament to meet MPs and called for an end to coercive return policies.

Afraa Hashem, a mother of three and survivor of detention and the war in Aleppo, has been rebuilding her life in Britain after gaining refugee status, but without ILR she is unable to travel for work.

She said: “Although I’m physically safe, the instability in my home country weighs heavily on me.

“Delays in ILR decisions mean that my children may miss out on higher education, as they can’t access student finance.

“The fear of deportation, along with the pause on ILR decisions, make it hard to see a secure future.

“After surviving so much, all I want is stability and the ability to live and contribute in peace. The pause has put my entire future on hold.”