Today, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) published a Country of Origin Information (COI) report titled "Syria – Socio-economic situation: Damascus city". 

This report is part of a series of Syria COI reports produced in 2021. The reports provide information relevant for international protection status determination for Syrian applicants, and in particular for use in updating EASO’s country guidance development on Syria. 

In both January and February 2021, Syrians lodged more than 10 000 applications for international protection in the EU+.¹ While these were the highest numbers since 2016, they included close to 5 000 repeated applications (in the same reporting country) in both months, which was considerably higher than earlier. Over the last six months (September 2020 – February 2021), total applications by Syrians almost doubled compared to the previous six-month period. Syrian applications pending at first instance have increased by 38 % over the last six months, to over 50 400 at the end of February 2021. Over this period, the EU+ recognition rate for Syrians was 86 % (relatively stable compared to the preceding six months).

The report, EASO COI Report: Syria – Socio-economic: Damascus city, provides relevant information regarding the socio-economic situation and internal mobility issues in the city of Damascus, with updated information on 2020 and 2021 where available. The report is an update of the EASO COI Report: Syria – Socio-economic: Damascus city (February 2020).

The report was drafted by the EASO COI Sector, in accordance with the EASO COI Report Methodology. 

Additionally, the Country of Origin Information Department of the Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum provided research contributions during the drafting phase of this report by sharing with EASO the English translation of its COI Syria Country Report.²

The report was reviewed by Austria, Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum, Country of Origin Information Department; France, Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA), Information, Documentation and Research Division, and the Netherlands, Afdeling Ambtsberichten, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
 

Notes
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[1]   This overview is based on EASO Early warning and Preparedness System (EPS) data. Data for February 2021 were missing for two EU+ countries and January data for one country.
[2]  Austria, BFA Staatendokumentation [Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum – COI Unit], Country Report on Syria [Updated 22.01.2021], Available from BFA Staatendokumentation