Serê Kaniyê IDPs Committee follows return file, says return is near

For months, displaced residents of Serê Kaniyê have been awaiting the opportunity to return to their city and villages and resume their normal lives after years of displacement, in accordance with the provisions of the January 29 agreement. However, their return continues to face numerous challenges and obstacles, particularly amid ongoing security instability in the city and its countryside.

In this context, lawyer and administrator of the Serê Kaniyê Displaced Persons Committee, Jwan Issa, stated:

“Based on our monitoring of the situation in the city, there is currently no safe environment in Serê Kaniyê that would allow the return of displaced residents. The factional situation remains unchanged in both the city and its villages, while the Turkish state continues to exercise control over its affairs.”

Issa explained that the issue of Serê Kaniyê is being discussed within the broader framework of integration efforts, according to representatives of the Interim Government. However, he noted that the reality on the ground remains different, as the city is still effectively outside the government's control. He emphasized that the committee continues to follow the matter closely.

He stressed the need to reorganize the structure of service and administrative institutions in Serê Kaniyê and reconnect them administratively to Hasakah Governorate. He also called for the restructuring of these institutions in parallel with the return of residents and displaced persons to their original areas.

Issa further stated: “The factional situation remains in place throughout the city and its countryside, and violations against the property of displaced residents continue. These include the seizure, theft, and sale of homes, as well as the appropriation of agricultural lands and the exploitation of their produce.”

He pointed out that it is still too early to say that displaced residents have returned to their villages and homes.

“Some displaced people visit the city, but upon seeing the reality on the ground, they often return to where they came from because of the lack of security in the area,” he said.

Issa added that during the previous period, the committee conducted a census of displaced residents from Serê Kaniyê and its villages, identifying approximately 80,000 displaced individuals from around 14,000 families.

“We are holding intensive meetings with the authorities responsible for the return process,” he said.

According to Issa, the Interim Government maintains that Serê Kaniyê remains outside its control and is part of an ongoing institutional integration process. He stressed the necessity of reconnecting the city to Hasakah Governorate and completing the process of removing settlers from the city, many of whom refuse to return to their places of origin.

“Our demands to the government have been clear,” he said. “They include the removal of settlers, restricting weapons to official security forces, guaranteeing the safety of returnees, ensuring justice, preventing any persecution or accountability measures against returning residents, restoring displaced persons’ properties, and reconnecting the city to Hasakah Governorate rather than separating it from it.”

Issa revealed that the committee has received assurances that, once the return process for Afrin’s displaced residents is completed, the return of Serê Kaniyê’s displaced population will begin.

“The process is expected to move quickly because the city falls within the governorate’s geographical scope. By 2026, no displaced person should remain outside their home or city, and everyone should be able to live in dignity,” he said.

He noted, however, that discussions so far remain largely theoretical and that no practical steps have yet been implemented.

“According to the promises we have received, return procedures should begin within days or weeks, not months, through the preparation of appropriate conditions for return,” he added.

Issa confirmed that the committee is currently holding meetings with prominent figures from the city to discuss the return process and its mechanisms, while also ensuring that the legitimate demands of displaced residents are taken into consideration.

He explained that the statistics available to the committee concern the number of displaced residents from the city and its countryside, rather than those wishing to return during the current phase. Registration for those interested in returning will reopen once implementation begins, and the process will be organized in stages according to specific mechanisms that will be announced later.

Issa concluded by saying that information available to the committee indicates that measures are currently being taken to register newcomers residing in the city in preparation for their return to their original areas, while efforts are also underway to create the necessary conditions for the return of displaced residents of Serê Kaniyê and its countryside to their homes and communities.

ANHA