After Decades, unregistered Kurds apply for Syrian citizenship

Civil registry offices in Çil Agha and Derik continue the process of registering Kurdish citizens from the “unregistered” category, with large numbers arriving from Çil Agha, Garkê Legê, Derik, and surrounding villages to officially record their data and benefit from the recently issued decree.

The head of Syria’s interim government issued Decree No. 13 on January 16, 2026, granting Syrian citizenship to Kurdish citizens from the unregistered category, following years of struggle by the Kurdish people.

The roots of the issue go back to the exceptional census conducted in Hasakah Province on October 5, 1962, when population records were reviewed in a single day. This resulted in large numbers of Kurdish citizens being stripped of Syrian nationality. Estimates indicate that the number of those deprived of citizenship, including the unregistered, exceeds 500,000 people.

According to information obtained from the committee recording visitors, the civil registry center in Çil Agha has so far received 243 family applications and 515 individual applications for citizenship from Çil Agha, Garkê Legê, and nearby areas.

The agency met Basna Shaheen, 81 years old, from the village of Kishk in the Alyan region. She is among those harmed by the results of the 1962 census, having been deprived for decades of her basic civil rights.

She said: “I am one of those harmed by the 1962 census, through which we were stripped of identity and our civil and social rights. This deeply affected the lives of our children, who were denied education and basic rights.”

She added: “Our suffering did not stop with losing our identity. In the 1970s, because of Arab Belt policies, our farmland was confiscated, village names were changed, and families from other regions were settled here, increasing the suffering of the people for many years.”

On the recent decree, she said: “This decision came after a long struggle, and it is an important step, especially for future generations, so they can obtain their civil and social rights within a state that recognizes all its components.”

In Derik, the number of families applying for citizenship reached 205 families, totaling 1,260 individuals, according to the committee.

Committee member Tamar Haji from Derik explained that the civil registry center opens from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., though registration often continues until 5:00 p.m.

He noted that residents come from Derik, its villages, Garkê Legê, and even Qamishlo if their records are tied to Derik, as well as some emigrant Kurdish families from South Kurdistan.

According to the committee, registration applications for Syrian citizenship from the unregistered category will continue until May 6, with the possibility of extending the deadline if needed.

ANHA

CELAXA

DERIK