The Netherlands is introducing a moratorium on processing refugee applications from Syrian nationals, immigration minister Marjolein Faber told parliament on Monday evening.

The moratorium means the immigration service will stop assessing applications  for six months, while it is unclear what the impact of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad will be, and if it is safe for people to return, Faber said.

Two of the four parties which make up the Dutch right-wing coalition government had earlier called for a halt.

MP Queeny Rajkowski, the VVD’s spokeswoman on asylum and migration, said on social media on Monday that the government should stop dealing with applications until the new situation is clarified.

“It is still unclear what the recent developments in Syria mean for the safety of Syrian refugees in the Netherlands,” she said on social media. “That is why I am calling for halt in handling applications”.

A halt would mean the IND would take no action on asylum applications and stop handing out residence permits. “In other words, it would be wait and see to find out if it would be safe to send people back to Syria or not,” she said.

Syrian nationals have been celebrating the downfall of Assad in the Netherlands, but many are also worried about what happens next, particularly those from minority communities.

However, far-right leader Geert Wilders, currently visiting Israel, said on social media that “if Syrians in the Netherlands are celebrating the new situation, then they can be sent back”.

He too urged prime minister Dick Schoof to bring in an “immediate stop” to admitting Syrian asylum seekers.

The Dutch government had already agreed that it would work towards sending Syrian refugees back to “safe” parts of the country and just a few days ago, Wilders suggested restoring diplomatic relations with the Assad regime to ensure they can be returned.

Some 150,000 Syrian nationals are currently in the Netherlands, and they currently account for the largest group of new arrivals.

According to German media outlet Deutsche Welle, Germany is already reportedly putting a halt on asylum proceedings for Syrian citizens.