The Syrian Future Movement is following with great interest the decision of the Syrian Ministry of Interior to remove security checkpoints from cities and villages along the Syrian coast, beginning Saturday, August 16, 2025, including Latakia and Tartous. This decision is a declared step to promote openness and facilitate citizens’ lives following the political transformations that Syria witnessed following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime on December 8, 2024.
While we welcome every effort aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people and facilitating their daily movement, we express our concern about the potential security repercussions of this decision, given the ongoing tensions and armed attacks targeting military points in the region.
The removal of the security checkpoints, which were perceived as a burden on citizens’ lives and hindering economic activity, represents a positive step toward restoring normalcy to the Syrian coast, a region vital to the national economy.
However, this step requires a comprehensive security strategy that ensures the stability of the region and protects its citizens from any potential threats. The decision has raised legitimate concerns among coastal residents, who are uncertain about the authorities’ ability to address the current security challenges.
The Syrian Future Movement calls on the Syrian government to take the following measures to ensure the success of this step and enhance trust between citizens and authorities:
- Develop an alternative security plan, strengthen security patrols, and use modern surveillance technologies to ensure security without impeding citizens’ movement.
- Transparent communication and informing the Syrian people of the details of the security plan accompanying this decision, clarifying the mechanisms that will protect areas from checkpoints.
- Regional cooperation and coordination with active regional actors, including Turkey and Russia, to ensure the stability of the Syrian coast as a strategic region.
- Support reconstruction by leveraging this decision to facilitate economic activity and support infrastructure rehabilitation projects, particularly in the water and energy sectors, in cooperation with international partners.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms its commitment to supporting all efforts aimed at building a stable and prosperous Syria, and emphasizes the need for these steps to be well-considered and based on principles that protect citizens’ security and meet their aspirations for a dignified life.
We are in a sensitive transitional phase that requires a delicate balance between openness and maintaining stability, and we call on all parties to work together to achieve this goal.
