Syrian refugees living in the UK must now be “encouraged” to return to their home country, Peter Ford, Britain’s former top ambassador to Damascus has said.

Meanwhile Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum Dame Angela Eagle has indicated the government’s willingness to “facilitate” their return – while stressing it was still to early to say what would happen after a tumultuous few days.

Mr Ford was speaking after the collapse of the brutal regime led by President Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Moscow at the weekend.

As of last year, there were an estimated 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK, according to the Refugee Council.

But Mr Ford, who served in his post from 2003 to 2007, said few had a legitimate excuse to remain now Assad had been ousted.

Telling GB News they should be “actively encouraged to leave”, Mr Ford suggested many Syrian refugees were either opposition sympathisers or economic migrants.

He added: “Now they’ve got their way: Assad, with our help, has been removed. They have no excuse to be in this country anymore.”

Mr Ford, who is now the deputy leader of George Galloway’s Workers Party of Great Britain, further claimed some of those living in the UK had terrorist links and posed a security risk.

He continued: “The sooner we get shot of them, the better.

“The Germans are on the right track. They’re offering something like €1,000 to get people off their backs.”

Asked this morning whether leave to remain would continue for people who had been granted the status after fleeing Syria, Dame Angela Eagle told Times Radio: “We have suspended our consideration of the current asylum claims – about 6,500 – until we can see what emerges from the current situation.

“If people wish to go home we’d certainly like to facilitate that, but I think it’s too early to say what will emerge from the events that have happened in the last few days.

“One of the main reasons why people were fleeing and claiming asylum was to get away from the Assad regime”.

She added: “Because things are so fluid we need to wait a little bit before we try to recommence asylum decisions in a territory where things are changing so rapidly.”

Questioned specifically about the prospect of jihadists who are British citizens returning to the UK, and told Times Radio: “Rest assured that the intelligence services are keeping a very close eye on what’s going on and we’re in contact with all of our allies to see how this pans out.

“Clearly any potential return of jihadists is a matter of great concern, which is why we’ll be keeping a very very close eye on how this situation develops in the coming days and weeks.”

A crowd of jubilant demonstrators gathered in Piccadilly Circus, central London, last night, chanting and waving Syrian flags last night. One, 66-year-old Alhakim Marwan, who fled Syria for the UK in 2012 with his wife and son, said he “will not forget what the UK has done for them”, adding that he was planning to go back to Syria.

Ahmed Amid, 29, said he and his family, who still live in Syria, were “very excited” and “over the moon”.

He added: “This just means lots of families can come back and rebuild, and hopefully build a better country where there is no dictatorship, and there’s freedom for everyone.

“I pray that we can just carry on moving forward.

“It’s a moment for the Syrians and everyone’s happy – it’s a celebration.”