UN refugee agency chief says returning refuges to Syria after fall of Bashar al-Assad should be ‘voluntary’ and ‘safe’.

The United Nations high commissioner for refugees calls for “patience and vigilance” in returning Syrian refugees to Syria after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.

Filippo Grandi said in a statement on Monday that the process must be “voluntary” and “safe” as the situation in Syria remains “uncertain”.

Grandi’s comments came after several European countries said they would suspend asylum decisions for Syrians after al-Assad’s fall.

“Patience and vigilance will be necessary, hoping that developments on the ground will evolve in a positive manner, allowing voluntary, safe and sustainable returns to finally occur – with refugees able to make informed decisions,” Grandi said.

The former Syrian president was toppled on Sunday in a lightning offensive by opposition fighters that put an end to more than half a century of the al-Assad family’s rule and came after 13 years of war.

The conflict killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced millions to flee Syria, sparking one of the worst refugee crises in modern history. Many have claimed asylum in Europe, citing fear of government persecution.

Just a day after al-Assad’s fall, Germany, France, Austria, Belgium and several other European countries announced suspensions of their decisions on asylum requests from Syrians.

But the likelihood of returns is dependent on whether Syria’s new leaders prioritise law and order, Grandi said.

“A transition that respects the rights, lives and aspirations of all Syrians – regardless of ethnicity, religion or political beliefs – is crucial for people to feel safe,” the UN refugee agency chief said.

In one of its first statements after toppling al-Assad, the Syrian opposition called on Syrians abroad to return and help rebuild the country. “Syria awaits you,” it said.

While Germany – home to the largest Syrian population outside the Middle East – and other governments said they were watching developments in the war-ravaged country, Austria signalled it would soon deport refugees back to Syria.

Far-right politicians, often opposed to immigration, elsewhere made similar demands.

Alice Weidel of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party reacted with disdain to Sunday’s mass rallies by jubilant Syrians celebrating al-Assad’s downfall.

“Anyone in Germany who celebrates ‘free Syria’ evidently no longer has any reason to flee,” she wrote on X. “They should return to Syria immediately.”

A German Federal Foreign Office spokesman, however, acknowledged that “the fact that the Assad regime has been ended is unfortunately no guarantee of peaceful developments” in the future.

Amnesty International has criticised the freezes on asylum decisions, stressing that “the human rights situation in [Syria] is completely unclear.”