6,000 Syrians in US face deportation

The US Department of Homeland Security announced that the TPS program for Syrians in the US will soon come to an end.

The department added that around 6,000 Syrians are allowed to live and work in the US under the TPS program.

It also noted that about 1,000 other Syrians had pending applications to join the TPS program as of last August.

The decision gives Syrian immigrants registered under TPS 60 days for voluntary departure and return to their home country, taking advantage of what the department described as a “safe self-deportation” method. This includes a free plane ticket, a $1,000 departure bonus, and future opportunities for legal immigration to the US.

Tricia McLellan, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, said in a press statement that “the decision is akin to restoring rationality to the US immigration system,” adding that “conditions in Syria no longer prevent its citizens from returning home, after nearly two decades in which it was a hub for terrorism and extremism.”

McLellan also pointed out that the decision stipulates that “any Syrian citizen registered under TPS who has not started voluntary departure procedures after the 60-day period will be subject to detention and deportation, and will not be allowed to return to the United States.”

Temporary Protected Status, which protects its beneficiaries from deportation and grants them the right to work in the US, is granted temporarily to immigrants whose safety is at risk in their home countries due to conflicts, natural disasters, or other “extraordinary” conditions.

TPS for Syria was first established in 2012 and has been extended multiple times, allowing thousands of Syrian citizens to live and work in the US to assist those who cannot safely return to their country.

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ANHA