After decades of marginalization.. Syrian Kurds begin citizenship procedures under presidential decree

The city of Qamishli and other cities in northeastern Syria witnessed a large influx of Kurdish citizens towards government registration centers, in a historic step aimed at ending decades of deprivation of Syrian citizenship. The halls designated in stadiums and public buildings were crowded with long queues of applicants carrying their old documents and personal photos, awaiting the regularization of their legal status.

These field movements come in implementation of the legislative decree issued by Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa last January, which granted Syrian citizenship to citizens of Kurdish origin residing in the country. The decision includes the category of 'unregistered' who have lived for decades without any official identification papers, which deprived them of the most basic citizenship rights and essential services.

Firas Ahmed, an applicant in Qamishli, expressed the extent of previous suffering, describing living without citizenship as 'clinical death,' as he was unable to register his children or register ownership of his home. Ahmed explained that his family inherited this situation from his grandfather who did not obtain citizenship, which made them live on the margins of the state and society without legal recognition.

The centers opened by the Syrian Ministry of Interior were not limited to Kurdish-majority areas, but extended to include the governorates of Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, and Raqqa, all the way to the capital Damascus. Government cadres are processing data electronically, with the phrase 'successfully completed' appearing on screens to announce the beginning of a new era for these citizens after many years of waiting.

In addition to granting citizenship, the presidential decree included extensive human rights reforms, including recognizing the Kurdish language as a national language in the country, and approving the cultural and linguistic rights of the Kurdish component. These steps are considered part of broader political entitlements that followed military skirmishes that ended with a comprehensive agreement to integrate the institutions of self-administration into the structure of the Syrian state.

Field sources reported that the agreement signed late last January began to be translated into action on the ground through the entry of security forces into the cities of Hasakah and Qamishli and taking over the management of vital facilities such as the airport. Political partnership also emerged with the appointment of the Kurdish military leader Sipan Hamo as Assistant Minister of Defense for Eastern Region Affairs this March.

Ghalia Kalash, a mother of five, recounts her suffering from deprivation of education and travel, as her children were unable to complete their studies due to the absence of official identity. She pointed out that the family lived in constant anxiety due to their inability to move freely or register their property, which they hope will end with the receipt of the new Syrian identity.

The roots of this issue go back to the controversial 1962 census in Hasakah Governorate, which at that time led to the withdrawal of citizenship from about 20% of Syrian Kurds. Since then, the Kurdish component, which represents an essential part of the Syrian fabric, has faced marginalization policies that affected their practice of their traditions and national celebrations such as Nowruz.

Estimates by the Network of Statelessness Victims in Hasakah indicate that the number of unregistered people currently stands at about 150,000 inside Syria. Human rights activists confirm that this number reflects the scale of the humanitarian tragedy that has continued for more than six decades, expressing their hope that the facilities will also include residents outside the country.

Ali Moussa, a member of the Network of Statelessness Victims, called on the Syrian authorities to show greater flexibility in implementing the decision to include refugees in European countries. He explained that many Syrian Kurds abroad fear returning due to security restrictions or regional war conditions that led to the closure of most airports and border crossings.

For his part, Abdullah Al-Abdullah, head of civil status affairs, confirmed that the registration centers will remain open for a full month, with the possibility of extending this period to accommodate all applications. Al-Abdullah considered that acquiring citizenship is the 'most important compensation' that the state can offer to these citizens after many years of deprivation and legal loss.

Inside the registration centers, Muhammad Ayou talks about the frustration that accompanied him throughout his life due to being deprived of a university degree despite his excellence in high school. Ayou says that the 'unregistered' was treated as a stranger in his homeland, where he needed a 'security paper' just to stay in a hotel in Damascus or obtain a driving license.

The deprivation did not stop at education and work, but extended to include basic political rights such as candidacy and voting, which made Syrian Kurds completely absent from decision-making centers. Applicants today believe that obtaining an identity is not just a paper, but a restoration of dignity and recognition of an existence that was taken from them decades ago.

These developments come amid complex regional circumstances, as the Syrian government seeks to strengthen the internal front and resolve outstanding issues with ethnic components. The international community and human rights organizations regularly monitor the seriousness and speed of implementing these procedures, to ensure that all eligible persons obtain their rights without bureaucratic or security obstacles.

A stateless person is considered dead. Imagine that I cannot register my children, or houses in our names.