Introduction

INTRODUCTION
Last update: June 2025

The country guidance documents provide country-specific common analysis and guidance in relation to the assessment criteria established in the recast Qualification Directive (Directive 2011/95/EU) 1 and in the newly adopted Qualification Regulation (QR)(2), which will repeal the QD with its entry into application on 1 July 2026. They are developed by the EUAA together with a network of senior-level policy officials from EU+ countries and represent their joint assessment of the situation in main countries of origin, in accordance with current EU legislation and jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).The European Commission and UNHCR also provide valuable input in this process.

The aim of the country guidance documents is to assist decision-makers and policy-makers in their daily work and to foster convergence in the assessment of applications for international protection and the type of protection granted in the context of the Common European Asylum System.

The development, review and update of country guidance is regulated under Article 11 of the EUAA Regulation( 3).

For more details on the process of producing country guidance documents and the exact role of stakeholders involved, see 'EUAA, Country Guidance Methodology, November 2024'.

This document encompasses the development, review and update of country guidance and regulates the work of the EUAA Country Guidance Network and all related processes.

Common analysis, guidance note and methodological approach

The country guidance document consists of two components: the guidance note and the common analysis. These two parts focus on the situation in the country of origin and provide analysis and guidance on the assessment of relevant international protection needs. 

The Country Guidance documents should be read in conjunction with the separate document ‘EUAA, Country Guidance: Explained, February 2025’.

This document outlines the general guidance relied upon in this analysis, as well as the methodological framework, approach and indicators used to assess the different elements of qualification for international protection.

 

 Scope of this update

The current version of the guidance updates the ‘EUAA, Country Guidance: Syria, April 2024’.

Following the recent developments in Syria, namely the fall of the Assad regime and the establishment of a Transitional Administration, EU+ countries together with the EUAA identified the need to update the ‘EUAA, Country Guidance: Syria, April 2024’.

The contents of the guidance note and the common analysis are structured according to ‘EUAA, 'Chapters of the country guidance' in Country Guidance: Explained, February 2025’. However, given the short reference period on which the present guidance is based on and the uncertainties deriving from the transitional situation in Syria, the structure and content of some chapters may be different, compared to other country guidance documents.

This common analysis is based on country of origin information (COI) covering the period from November 2024 to February 2025. Some limited additional information until 11 March has also been reflected. Where relevant, some information has been added directly from the reporting sources.

This interim document takes stock of the change of regime and draws some preliminary conclusions pending a fuller update when the situation in Syria permits. It aims to provide guidance on the impact of the fall of the Assad regime on the profiles who were covered in the ‘EUAA, Country Guidance: Syria, April 2024’. Given the short timeframe of this guidance, information is limited and the assessment it contains are necessarily provisional. It builds upon the ‘EUAA, Country Guidance: Syria, April 2024’, and addresses the impact of the change of regime in the country on the protection needs of the specific applicant profiles covered in the previous guidance.

Where an applicant is not found eligible for refugee status, guidance is provided on the relevant considerations for granting subsidiary protection under Article 15(a) and Article 15(b) QD/QR.

The section on the application of Article 15(c) QD/QR gives an overview of the main security developments and trends in indiscriminate violence from November 2024 to February 2025, including early March 2025. It also provides guidance combining quantitative and qualitative elements in a comprehensive holistic assessment. The importance to take into account personal circumstances is further highlighted.

This interim guidance further gives an update regarding the actors of persecution or serious harm and evaluates if any actors of protection could be identified.

Lastly, this document analyses the possibility of an internal protection alternative in Damascus city.

This update is based on the following EUAA COI report:

EUAA Country of Origin Information Report:

Syria – Country Focus

(March 2025)

Available in PDF and online.

Annex: Country of origin information references provides further details on all COI reports used as a basis for the analysis within this document. References and links within this document are to the respective sections of these COI reports.

Check the EUAA COI webpage for the latest EUAA COI products on Syria.