A Syrian plastic surgeon who fled the Assad regime and arrived in the UK in 2016 is now facing deportation, after the Home Office revoked his refugee status and declared that Syria - a country the Foreign Office still advises against all travel to - is safe enough for him and his family to return to.

The surgeon, who lives in London with his wife and six children, three of whom are studying at university, is understood to be one of the first Syrian refugees in the UK to have his refugee protection cancelled. The move is believed to be the first time the Home Office has cancelled refugee protection for an entire nationality, and thousands of Syrians settled in the UK are likely to be affected. It is also thought to be the first such active removal of refugee status for Syrians in Europe since the fall of the Assad regime, even as some European countries content themselves with merely promoting "voluntary" return.

"I am so shocked by the Home Office's decision to withdraw refugee protection," the surgeon said. "I brought my family to what I considered to be a safe place. We have integrated well but now my refugee status has been cancelled."

He added: "I worked as a plastic surgeon in Syria, converted my medical qualifications here so that I am registered with the General Medical Council to work as a doctor here. I am currently working in a GP surgery but am hoping I will be able to continue my practice as a plastic surgeon soon."

As for the government's confident assessment that Syria is now safe: "I don't believe Syria will be a safe place for me to return to. I was targeted by certain radical groups in Syria who are still operating there. They are capable of doing many things to me. And I don't believe that the current Syrian government would be able to protect me from these groups."

The surgeon says he has heard of a few other families who have also had their refugee status taken away on the same basis. "The Home Office says Syria is now a safe country for us to return to," he said.

He delayed telling his family about the letter, hoping to spare them a few more days of sadness. "But now I have given them the news. Like me, they are all in shock and are only just starting to absorb this." His three older children are studying neuroscience, cybersecurity and pharmacy at university.

"It's unsafe for all of us to go back to Syria," he said. "By revoking our refugee status the Home Office is depriving us of the right to live our lives."

The Home Office letter states: "Your refugee status has been ceased. Although officials accept that the situation in Syria remains 'complex' they consider that changes in Syria are so significant that your fear of persecution and serious harm can no longer be regarded as well founded."

The technical term is "cessation" of refugee status. The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, in its most recent guidance about the safety of Syria, found that governments should not be returning refugees there. It said: "UNHCR calls on states to refrain from implementing cessation exercises until such time as the situation in Syria has seen significant improvements in overall stability."

Foreign Office guidance, for its part, states that the security situation in Syria "remains volatile" and adds: "Fighting and violence may occur around the country and is highly unpredictable. This includes artillery and airstrikes." The guidance also notes a humanitarian crisis in Syria, including lack of infrastructure, water, sanitation and health services - handy context for anyone packing for a safe return.

The family's solicitor, Manini Menon of Duncan Lewis, said: "It is regrettable that the home secretary has seen fit to target Syrian refugees and their families as part of her pledge to reduce net migration figures. This is a cynical and unprecedented step which will have devastating consequences for a group of people who have rebuilt their lives in the UK with considerable effort, contributing to their communities and putting down roots here."

She added: "The evidence in relation to Syria is clear: the circumstances in the country do not allow the home secretary to lawfully conclude that they have stabilised to the extent that refugees can be safely returned there."

The Home Office said: "Britain will always provide protection to genuine refugees, and we will never return anyone to danger. When it is safe for someone to return to their home country, they will be expected to do so. We continue to work closely with governments around the world to develop and maintain returns agreements, including with Syria." Which is reassuring, provided one accepts that "safe" now means something the Foreign Office explicitly warns against.