Béziers to expel Syrian family to Spain under Dublin rules

Family threatened with immediate expulsion

Malek (41) and Khaldieh (32) Al Elfi and their three children — Hisham, 15, Fata, 12, and Houmam, 8 — fled bombardment in Homs and reached France after entering the EU through Spain. Six weeks after arriving in Béziers and applying for asylum they were told by the local prefecture to return to Spain within 48 hours under the Dublin regulation, had their passports confiscated and were warned they could be jailed if they stayed. The family are now in hiding; Khaldieh is suffering severe stress and the couple say their children have been denied schooling and stability. Béziers is governed by the far‑right Front National and its mayor, Robert Ménard, has spoken against Syrian arrivals.

Context and reaction

Campaigners say the case highlights the rigidity of the Dublin system at a time when some EU states (including Germany and Sweden) have made exceptions for Syrians. French authorities say they are preventing the creation of a local “route” for arrivals, while charities call the expulsion arbitrary and disproportionate. France has relocated only a small share of refugees it agreed to take, asylum applicants can wait many months before a decision and cannot work in the meantime, and national recognition rates have been low. Local aid groups argue the Al Elfis simply want safety, work and schooling for their children. as reported by The Guardian