On the 17th March 2023, the Refugee Board decided on two cases concerning Syrian nationals from the Latakia province who were residing in Denmark with a residence permit based on a temporary protection status granted due to the general conditions in Syria.
The Refugee Board first noted that most of the Latakia province is under the control of the Syrian government except for the north-eastern part, where fighting continues as it is controlled by armed rebel groups. The Board highlighted the number of security incidents in Latakia while noting that there is freedom of movement. Hence, the Refugee Board ruled that it must be assumed that the situation in Latakia remains serious and fragile, but it is not as such that there is reason to believe that everyone will be at real risk of a treatment in violation of Article 3 ECHR solely as a result of their mere presence in the area. The Board also stated that the changes in the province are not of a temporary nature.
Furthermore, the Refugee Board found that, after a specific assessment, there were grounds to grant the applicants convention status under section 7(1) of the Aliens Act and so it reversed the decisions of the Immigration Service.