A Supreme court in Germany on Tuesday ruled that Syrians fleeing the civil war in their home country do not have automatic right to refugee status under the Geneva Convention.

The Higher Administrative Court in the western German city of Muenster gave the ruling on Tuesday.

According to the court, it cannot be assumed that asylum seekers returning to Syria will be persecuted as political opponents solely on the grounds that they fled the country.

A refugee from Aleppo, who instituted the case, contested the decision of Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) on his own status.

Report says the office currently awards Syrian asylum seekers only temporary, so-called “subsidiary protection.’’

The subsidiary protection protects the refugees from deportation but prevents them from reuniting with family members.

According to the court, the ruling is significant for other cases.

In the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia alone, 12,300 lawsuits had been brought by Syrians contesting the decisions by the BAMF by the end of January.

The Higher Administrative Court denied the possibility of appeal, but added that the ruling could be contested before the Federal Administrative Court.