Malta has temporarily suspended the examination and processing of new and existing asylum applications from Syrian nations.

In a statement, Malta’s International Protection Agency said that the decision was being taken in light of recent events in Syria.  

A coalition of rebels in Syria made swift advances over the past week culminating in the deposition of Basher Al-Assad from power, ending a tyrannical regime which had plunged the Middle Eastern country into years of instability and civil conflict.

“In light of the recent significant events in Syria, the International Protection Agency has temporarily suspended the examination of pending and new asylum applications for international protection by Syrian nationals,” the agency said in a statement.

“The Agency will continue to assess the evolving situation with the aim of resuming the processing of such applications in the shortest time possible. The Agency has decided to take this course of action in order to properly assess the evolving situation, since at present it is not possible to properly assess applicants’ reasons for seeking international protection,” it added.

Members of the Syrian community in Malta celebrated the fall of the Assad regime over the weekend when it became clear that rebels had entered the capital of Damascus and that Assad had fled to Russia.