The Syrian refugee deportation UK case centres on a plastic surgeon who the Home Office has ruled can now be sent back to Syria. The decision sits awkwardly beside the government's own Foreign Office travel advice, which warns against all travel to Syria because of the "volatile" security situation.

First active removal of Syrian refugee status in Europe

The ruling is thought to be the first of its kind in Europe since the fall of the Assad regime, although some European countries encourage voluntary return. The surgeon is understood to be among the first Syrian refugees in the UK to have protection cancelled, and the Home Office is believed never before to have cancelled protection for a whole nationality.

• •Thousands of Syrians settled in the UK are likely to be affected.
• •The technical term for the withdrawal is "cessation" of refugee status.

Government guidance contradicts the safe-country ruling

UNHCR's most recent guidance found that governments should not be returning refugees to Syria, and called on states to refrain from implementing cessation exercises until the country sees significant improvements in overall stability. Foreign Office guidance says the security situation remains volatile, that fighting and violence including artillery and airstrikes are highly unpredictable, and describes a humanitarian crisis marked by a lack of infrastructure, water, sanitation and health services.

The surgeon's case

The surgeon fled the Assad regime and arrived in the UK in 2016. He lives in London with his wife and six children, three of whom are at university studying neuroscience, cybersecurity and pharmacy. He converted his qualifications to register with the General Medical Council and now works in a GP surgery while hoping to return to plastic surgery.

He says radical groups that targeted him in Syria are still operating there and that he does not believe the current Syrian government could protect him from them. He says he has heard of other families having refugee status withdrawn on the same basis, and delayed telling his family about the decision.

Responses on both sides

The Home Office letter states: "Your refugee status has been ceased." Officials accept the situation in Syria remains "complex" but judge the changes significant enough that his fear of persecution and serious harm is no longer well founded.

The family's solicitor, Manini Menon of Duncan Lewis, said it was regrettable the home secretary had targeted Syrian refugees as part of her pledge to reduce net migration figures. "This is a cynical and unprecedented step," she said, with devastating consequences. She added that the evidence is clear that circumstances in the country do not allow the home secretary to lawfully conclude Syria has stabilised enough for refugees to be safely returned.

The Home Office said Britain will always provide protection to genuine refugees, will never return anyone to danger, expects people to go back when it is safe, and works with governments on returns agreements including with Syria.