The former Syrian prime minister agrees to transfer power to the rebel-led government, while Europe pauses asylum applications
The former Syrian prime minister, Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali, has agreed to hand over power to the rebel-led “Salvation Government” a day after rebels took control of the capital, Damascus, and President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia.
New Government in Syria
This power transfer comes after 13 years of civil war and ends more than 50 years of Assad family rule. Al-Jalali, who stayed in Syria after Assad left, told Al Arabiya TV that he agreed to give control to the Salvation Government, which operates in rebel-held areas in northwest Syria. He said the handover could take a few days to complete.
Rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa met with al-Jalali and Syrian Vice President Faisal Mekdad to talk about setting up a transitional government. Sources told Reuters that Mohamed al-Bashir has been suggested as the head of the transitional government, but there has been no official confirmation yet.
Asylum Applications on Hold
Several European countries have put asylum applications from Syrians on hold until further notice, affecting thousands of pending claims.
The Berlin Interior Ministry announced it would not process asylum requests until there is more clarity on the situation in Syria. The UK also paused decisions on asylum applications, saying it was still evaluating the situation.
Norway, Italy, Austria, and the Netherlands have also suspended Syrian asylum requests, and France said it might do the same soon. In Greece, about 9,000 Syrian asylum applications have been paused, according to a senior Greek government source.
‘Deposits Safe’
The Central Bank of Syria assured the public on Monday that their money in local banks was safe, despite the chaos near some government institutions.
The bank said in a statement on its official Facebook page that citizens’ deposits were secure and would not be harmed. This came after rebels issued a statement on Sunday stressing the importance of protecting both public and private property in Damascus.
The Central Bank also stated that it would continue to oversee the operations of both banks and other financial institutions to ensure they follow the proper systems.
Published: 11th December 2024
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