Between 3-5 March 2026, the Refugee Appeals Board decided on a number of test cases involving 10 Syrian nationals. These are the first such cases determined following the change of power in Syria in December 2024.
The board found that the general conditions in Syria cannot justify a residence permit pursuant to Section 7(3) of the Aliens Act. The board referred to the EUAA's Country Guidance: Syria (December 2025), which indicates that no area in Syria is characterised by a high or exceptionally high level of indiscriminate violence and civilians in Damascus are not at real risk of being affected by such indiscriminate violence.
The applicants in the cases were assessed in relation to Damascus or the Rif Damascus provinces in Syria.
Upon an individual assessment, the board overturned the Danish Immigration Service’s decisions in respect of seven applicants and granted residence permits under Sections 7(1) and 7(2) of the Aliens Act. Six of these permits were granted as 'consequential status permits', where the applicant does not have an independent asylum basis but the permit was granted on the basis of the applicant's close family connection to a person who has a residence permit pursuant to Section 7. One of the permits was granted to an applicant with an independent asylum basis.
The board upheld the decision on the refusal of residence permits for the remaining three applicants.
Additional decisions will be published in anonymised form on the board’s website in the future and the collection of background information regarding the situation in Syria will continue to be updated by the Refugee Appeals Board.
- Refugee Appeals Board | Flygtningenævnet (6 March, 2026), Flygtningenævnet har truffet afgørelse i prøvesager vedrørende statsborgere fra Syrien [The Refugee Board has made a decision in test cases concerning citizens from Syria],