Ain al-Fijeh property owners demand repeal of expropriation law

Discontent continues among residents of Ain al-Fijeh in the Wadi Barada area of the Damascus countryside, against the backdrop of the continuing repercussions of the expropriation issue associated with Law No. 1 of 2018. Residents are calling for a review of its effects and for the status of properties, ownership, and compensation to be addressed in a manner that safeguards the rights of those affected.

Amid objections to the continued expropriation crisis and the failure to address its repercussions, residents of Ain al-Fijeh and Wadi Barada have been circulating on their social media pages an image of a handwritten note containing statements criticizing the continued implementation of the expropriation decision issued in 2018.

The note reads: “The expropriation of Ain al-Fijeh village by a decision of Bashar al-Assad in 2018, and the Assad decision is still in effect to this day. The reason for the decision was the support of the residents of the village and Wadi Barada for the Syrian revolution.”

Alongside the image, residents have reiterated demands to repeal Law No. 1 of 2018 and address the status of the properties covered by it.

On September 10, 2026, community elders held a dialogue session with a delegation of members of the Syrian parliament to discuss residents’ demands for the repeal of the law and its repercussions on the rights and stability of the local population.

Parliament member Imad al-Ashrafani said the meeting addressed residents’ concerns, particularly the expropriation issue, noting that the matter was “complicated and sensitive” and that parliament was awaiting draft laws referred by the executive authority in order to discuss and amend them in accordance with the public interest.

For his part, Ain al-Fijeh Mayor Khalil Issa said the law was issued while residents were absent from the town after being displaced at the beginning of 2017. He explained that it covers around 1,500 properties spanning approximately 1,100 dunams, most of them residential buildings, causing harm to a broad segment of the town’s population, which numbers around 15,000 residents, including newcomers.

Residents, for their part, maintain that around 1,300 properties are subject to expropriation, noting that when they approach the relevant authorities, they find seizure notations registered against their properties. They are calling for the law to be repealed and for a new zoning plan to be issued that would allow residents to return, rebuild their homes, and resolve the status of the properties in a manner that safeguards the rights of their owners.

Law No. 1 of 2018 regulates the direct and indirect protected zones of the Ain al-Fijeh spring, which is considered one of the main sources of drinking water for Damascus. The law provides for the expropriation of properties and parts of properties within the direct protected zone for what was described as the purpose of “protecting the water source from pollution.”

Local authorities had previously announced that the number of expropriated properties within the direct protected zone had reached 1,082, with provisions for compensating their owners based on the actual value of the properties. Later reports, however, pointed to continuing problems related to compensation and the reconsideration of expropriation decisions.

In July 2025, the Damascus and Rural Damascus Water Establishment said that complaints from Ain al-Fijeh residents had been collected and sent to the relevant ministry, coinciding with the formation of a joint advisory committee to reconsider the expropriation law, examine the reasons that led to its implementation, and assess its effects. The establishment said at the time that no compensation had been paid to residents.

Residents believe that continued restrictions on the properties and the failure to settle the issue of ownership and compensation are hindering the completion of residents’ return and the reconstruction of the town. They are calling for a clear mechanism to address the expropriated properties and determine their fate, allowing those affected either to reclaim their rights or receive fair compensation.

The renewed demands come amid continued debate over the future of Law No. 1 of 2018, years after the displacement of residents of the area and the destruction that affected some of their properties. Residents are calling for the issue to be addressed through clear legal and administrative procedures that balance the protection of the Ain al-Fijeh spring with safeguarding the rights of property owners.

ANHA