Syrians in the U.S. on Temporary Protected Status will enjoy an extended reprieve as Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced an 18-month extension for the said program for Syrians which affects 7,000 people in the U.S.
The program’s new deadline is September 30, 2019. There is also a chance that the extension could be extended again depending on conditions in the Middle Eastern country next year.
Nielsen said in a statement released on Wednesday evening: “After carefully considering conditions on the ground, I have determined that is necessary to extend the Temporary Protected Status designation for Syria. It is clear that the conditions upon which Syria’s designation was based continue to exist, therefore an extension is warranted under the statute. We will continue to determine each country’s TPS status on a country-by-country basis.”
Nielsen stressed that her office, along with other government agencies, all agreed in the conclusion that it was unsafe for beneficiaries to return to Syria in light of persistent armed conflict and “extraordinary and temporary conditions.”
DHS previously said that it will conclude TPS programs for El Salvador, Haiti, and Honduras.
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