The Syrian Future Movement is closely following all pronouncements from the new Syrian state institutions during this delicate transitional phase. This stems from our deep belief that building a unified national state requires the concerted and integrated efforts of all. Accordingly, we have reviewed Immigration and Passports Department Decision No. 879/Q, issued on November 26, 2025, which stipulates the issuance of passports valid for two and a half years to a category of citizens who left the country irregularly or have pending legal proceedings. We have also reviewed the explanatory statements accompanying the decision, including those attributed to Mr. Walid Arabi, Assistant Director of the Department.
The Syrian Future Movement highly values the efforts exerted by the state to rectify the legal situations left by the former regime, as well as the endeavors to facilitate the return of citizens and their integration into the reconstruction process. We also appreciate that the decision primarily aims to expedite the procedures for millions of Syrians who have suffered prolonged injustice.
However, with a sense of national responsibility and in a spirit of constructive partnership, we wish to express the following observations:
- The vast majority of Syrians who left the country through irregular channels did so out of necessity, fleeing arrest, torture, death, and forced conscription. These individuals are not “dissidents” by choice; rather, they are victims of a fallen tyrannical regime and were among the first to pay the price for freedom.
- Describing these citizens, even unintentionally, as “remnants of the regime” or “its cronies” inflicts a deep wound on the national conscience and contradicts the spirit of reconciliation we all seek to build the Syria of the future, despite our acknowledgment of the existence of fleeing remnants.
- Reducing the passport validity to two and a half years, along with the relatively high fees, places an additional financial and emotional burden on millions of families already suffering the consequences of displacement. It may, unintentionally, weaken the bond between expatriates and their homeland at a time when we most need to strengthen this bond.
The Syrian Future Movement, out of its concern for the unity of the Syrian people and the future of their state, calls upon officials in the Ministry of Interior and the Immigration and Passports Department to:
- Reconsider the wording of the decision so that it clearly distinguishes between those who left the country fleeing the brutality of the former regime before liberation, those who left later for other reasons, and the remnants of the criminal regime.
- Extend the validity of passports to at least six years for all those against whom no criminal charges have been proven during the era of the former regime.
- Significantly reduce the fees for this exceptional passport, as an expression of the state’s appreciation for the suffering of its citizens.
- Issue an official clarification confirming that the new Syrian state considers all those forcibly displaced as victims, not violators, and that its fundamental policy is to embrace its citizens, not punish them.
The Syrian Future Movement calls upon the current Syrian leadership, headed by President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the interim government, to strive for a unified, strong, and inclusive Syria, and that such observations will be taken into consideration in the spirit of national responsibility that unites us all.
