Germany and Austria have frozen Syrian asylum applications in the wake of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

All asylum requests from Syrian citizens will be put on hold until there is more clarity on political developments in the country, Berlin’s migration office said on Monday.

Syria was the most common country of origin for asylum seekers in Germany this year, with 72,420 applications submitted by December.

More than 47,000 asylum requests from Syrian citizens are still pending a decision.

Austria has also said it has suspended Syrian asylum applications, and its interior ministry has been instructed to start preparing the deportation of Syrians already living there.