Almost a decade ago, a Syrian refugee's selfie with Germany's then-chancellor Angela Merkel went viral. Today, Anas Modamani has a job, a German passport, a fiancee, and no plans to return to his war-ravaged country. "I've become a Berliner now," says the 27-year-old cameraman who arrived in the German capital in 2015 and is now part of the biggest Syrian refugee community in Europe. Modamani is safely settled, but the fate of other Syrians hangs in the balance after German authorities this week decided to freeze issuing decisions on asylum applications from Syrian nationals. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES