Syrian asylum seekers found themselves in limbo after the interior minister said the government would pause their applications. He called the decision “cruel” and called on officials to resume processing their cases.

More than 700 refugee organizations, including Care4Calais and Refugee Action, as well as many UK-based Syrian groups, have expressed “deep concern and opposition” to the suspension of the 6,500 applications currently in the system, the Independent reported.

Last week, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs: “Let us be clear that most of the claims, many of the claims that have been made, have been against the Assad regime’s asylum regime, which is clearly not in place.” “It is not appropriate under the current circumstances to make asylum decisions in these cases.”

She added that the situation was “very unstable at the moment” and that the government was monitoring it.

The Guardian spoke to two Syrian asylum seekers who were dismayed by the government’s decision and feared they would be forcibly returned to Syria at a time of enormous instability. Both said that after a day of euphoria following the fall of Assad, fear had spread about what would happen next in their country.

Sara (not her real name), a 27-year-old journalist, applied for asylum in the UK earlier this year after being targeted by the Syrian regime for critical comments about it.

“My father works for a humanitarian NGO in Syria and has seen many terrible things. My country has probably experienced one of the most brutal dictatorships in the world. After the fall of the regime, there is now great uncertainty. I am very cautious about what will happen next in Syria. The situation remains very dangerous.”

Sara was called to Home Office headquarters in Croydon for her asylum interview a few months ago, but after waiting for more than half an hour she was told the interview would no longer take place. It was postponed for a few days after the fall of the Assad regime and then canceled a second time.

Sara said: “As asylum seekers the Home Office speaks to us in a very harsh tone. Between day and night, your life can change and suddenly be in danger. I have a good support network in the UK, but the whole thing gave me a panic attack. I have nightmares about being sent back to Syria. The Home Office is treating us cruelly at a time when we are in a very vulnerable situation.

“My family in Syria is very traumatized. At the moment there are a lot of shootings in the air that are making everyone very scared. They were driving their car a few days ago and one of these bullets grazed their car. We ask the government to grant us a residence permit during this very intense time so that we have some security and are not forced to continue living in limbo.”

Muhamed (not his real name), 24, has been in the UK since May 2022. After a difficult journey through Europe, he crossed the English Channel in a small boat and applied for asylum. His family’s home was destroyed in a bomb attack. His sister and brother were imprisoned in one of Syria’s notorious prisons and since the fall of the Assad regime, his family has been unable to find them and therefore does not know whether they are dead or alive.

He arrived in the UK shortly after former home secretary Priti Patel announced the Rwanda program, although news of it only reached him when he applied for asylum. Muhamed was one of the asylum seekers on the list for Rwanda and spent several weeks in a detention center after Interior Ministry officials told him he would be sent to the East African country.

“My asylum application was not processed because of Rwanda. A month ago I finally did my interview at the Home Office but didn’t receive a decision. Now I’m waiting again because the government has paused decisions. I’ve been waiting for more than two and a half years.

“Syria continues to be an unsafe country for people like me. I don’t know what will happen to me tomorrow. This decision not to process our claims is an injustice.”

The Interior Ministry has been asked for comment.