Trump administration extends protected status for Syrians by 18 months

Nearly 7,000 Syrians will be allowed to remain in the United States for another 18 months, the Trump administration has said, but no more Syrian citizens will be able to apply for the special protection programme.

Under a humanitarian programme known as "Temporary Protected Status", thousands of Syrians have been allowed to avoid returning to their war-torn country of origin, but the current scheme is set to expire on March 31, forcing a decision on whether to extend.