‘Syrians from Rebel Areas Are Refugees’, Says German Court

An administrative court in Germany has ruled Syrian asylum seekers who come from rebel areas will automatically receive asylum status.

The Hessian Administrative Court in Kassel ruled that three Syrian men, who had fled military service, were legitimate refugees who may face persecution in Syria, Frankfurter Allgemeine reports. The judgement is final and will likely set a precedent in future cases.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) initially did not grant the asylum seekers refugee status, granting them temporary protection status instead, because they found no evidence the men were facing political persecution in their native country.

The men appealed the decision saying that if they went back they would be treated as deserters and likely executed by the government.

Late last year, a court in Schleswig agreed with BAMF’s protocols when it refused to give Syrian asylum seekers automatic refugee status. That judgement came after 30,000 Syrian migrants submitted complaints demanding they get full asylum status.

The automatic granting of asylum for Syrians in rebel areas could also make it easier for others who also live and fight in rebel-held territories like those belonging and fighting for radical Islamist groups.

A number of Islamic State fighters have attempted to sneak into Germany since 2015 through the Balkan and Mediterranean routes. One senior Islamic State fighter was found hiding in an asylum home in a rural German community early last year.

Some Islamic State fighters or sympathisers have also managed to either attempt or carry out acts of terrorism in Germany. One such migrant was failed Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri who hijacked a lorry and drove it through a crowded Christmas Market in Berlin killing a dozen people in December 2o16.

Amri lived under several identities whilst in Germany and was able to reside in various asylum homes across the country. He was also known to have had connections to the radical Islamist scene in Germany.

The police in Berlin has been heavily criticised after information came to light they had known Amri had been involved in the Berlin drug scene but had failed to use the information to deport him to Tunisia.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson@breitbart.com