Government official: Parents can apply for their children's citizenship, residing outside Syria

Syrian Kurds residing abroad, particularly in Southern Kurdistan and Europe, have expressed concerns about the difficulty of accessing citizenship reinstatement procedures, given the requirement for in-person attendance to complete the process. They have called for the opening of diplomatic or temporary offices, the availability of online registration, and an extension of the application period to ensure they can regain their civil rights after decades of deprivation. 

In a statement to ANHA agency, Aziz al-Mohaimid, the Director General of Civil Affairs in Hasaka Governorate, addressed these concerns, confirming that a guardian can submit a citizenship reinstatement application for their children residing abroad with a note "resides outside the country" will be added to their names to ensure their inclusion in the family database and their eligibility for the reinstatement process.

Al-Mohaimid pointed out that individual applications for children residing abroad are not currently available, explaining that this mechanism is part of organizing the process and ensuring that as many eligible individuals as possible are included.

Al-Mohaimid added that individuals outside Syria can later visit the permanent committees in Damascus to submit the application in person within a specific time period that will be announced later to complete the documents, stressing that the administration is ready to extend the registration period as needed, while there are currently no instructions regarding submitting through embassies or agencies outside the country.

He noted that any feedback from citizens would be forwarded to the government for the follow-up procedure.

Inside Syria, steps began on April 6th to address the citizenship issue for Syrian Kurds, aiming to rectify the status of hundreds of thousands who were stripped of their citizenship as a result of the 1962 Hasaka census. This initiative is based on the Presidential Decree No. 13th of 2026, approved by the head of the Interim Government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, which seeks to grant citizenship to all Kurdish citizens residing in Syria, including those not previously registered on official lists.

The Ministry of Interior announced that the first phase focuses on receiving citizenship applications and verifying documents through centers in Hasaka, Derbasiya, Qamishlo, Jel Agha, Derik, Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Damascus.

The procedures include submitting a written application, proof of identity, proof of residency, and a certificate of identification, as well as completing the citizenship application form, with the requirement of personal attendance, or that of a representative in exceptional cases.

Kurdish activists believe that 'restoring citizenship to Syrian Kurds is an important step to lift the injustice against a large segment of citizens, and gives them the rights to education, work, travel and marriage registration, and promotes a culture of law, citizenship and equality among all Syrian components away from previous nationalist policies.'

ANHA