A new circular from the Department of Immigration and Passports granting pardon for residence-related breaches of Arab and foreign nationals residing in the Syrian Arab Republic

• On August 14, 2025, Minister of Interior issued the Decision # 12 granting pardon for the residence breaches that do not exceed six months on the date of approaching the Immigration Offices, provided that the breacher approaches the Immigration Offices within 45 days maximum as of the date of issuing the Decision.
• Accordingly, if you are a refugee or asylum seeker, and your residence has expired less than 6 months ago, you can benefit from this pardon by approaching an Immigration Office nearest to your place of residence.
• Please note that the period given to you to legalize your residence will expire on September 27, 2025.

If you have concerns about approaching the Immigration Offices because you have entered the country illegally, or for any other reasons, you have to see one of UNHCR lawyers at UNHCR office, or call on one the hotlines listed below, as soon as possible to receive legal counselling.

Based on this generous pardon, you will benefit from waiving the fine of exceeding the residence expiry date for less than six months. Please note that the pardon does not include the penalties relevant to violations of other Syrian laws.

If you have concerns about approaching the Immigration Department/Branches, or if you have any questions, please contact UNHCR lawyer directly on the following numbers:0998760864 or 0993363275 or the hotline: 0992550708From 09:00 AM to 04:00 PM

GALSP would like to inform the Syrian citizens that the Turkish authorities have issued a notice of entry/exit procedure rules for Syrian citizens holding residency permits outside Türkiye and Syrians holding a third-country citizenship through the joint border crossings (Kasab, Bab al-Hawa, al-Hamam, al-Salama, al-Rai and Jarabulus).

Under the notice, Syrian citizens, whether holding residency permits from countries other than Türkiye or holding a third-country citizenship, are permitted to enter Syria in their vehicles and return via the same land crossing from which they had entered without prior permission.

Important information:

• Adult Syrians holding the citizenship of another country are permitted to enter provided they possess a Syrian passport, even if it is expired, in addition to a passport belonging to the second nationality.
• Children of Syrian expatriates, under the age of 18, holding the citizenship of another country, but do not have a Syrian passport, are permitted to enter using their foreign passport.
• Everyone can enter in their private vehicles through the crossing point, subject to the official fees, provided they adhere to the permitted period of stay within Syria.

UNHCR and its partners provide a trusted, respectful and inclusive environment where people should feel safe and we enforce a Zero Tolerance Policy for fraud, corruption, sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

The Secretary-General

12 August 2025

On International Youth Day, we celebrate the determination, creativity and leadership of young people everywhere.

This year’s theme – Local Youth Action for the SDGs and Beyond – reminds us that global progress begins in communities.  And in every corner of the world young people are leading the way.

They are driving sustainable development, building more inclusive communities, forging peace, and demanding a fairer, greener and more just future.

Young people are bold innovators, resilient organizers, and essential partners in in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

This year also marks a renewed commitment to the World Programme of Action for Youth – a recognition that when young people lead, societies thrive.

To every young person: your voice, ideas and leadership matter.

Let us work together to support youth-led solutions and build a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world, from the ground up.

UNHCR is conducting a survey to better understand the current needs and living conditions of families across Syria. The goal is to strengthen our support and assistance activities based on your feedback.

If you have received an SMS and followed the link to this page, you have been randomly selected to participate in this survey.

NAMA, a trusted survey company based in Jordan, will contact you by phone over the coming weeks on behalf of UNHCR. They will ask a few basic questions about your situation and the conditions in your area.

You will receive message from the below number only: 00962792246021

Your responses will be kept completely confidential and used solely for the purpose of this survey.

Participation is voluntary, and your input is highly valued. Please note that participation will not result in any direct personal benefits or assistance.

Note: UNHCR will never ask for sensitive personal information such as passwords, bank details, or identification numbers. Do not share such data with any unverified source.

Thank you for your time and continued support for UNHCR’s work in Syria.

At UNHCR, we are committed to protecting the personal data of the people with and for whom we work. Our Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information in line with international data protection standards.

Learn more about your rights and how your data is handled: https://help.unhcr.org/syria/unhcr-privacy-notice/

The UN Refugee Agency, addresses both sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), and sexual harassment (SH), and provides clarification for colleagues on how to contribute to this effort and seek support when needed.

Anyone concerned by potential misconduct is encouraged to report this and contact the Inspector General’s Office (IGO). Contacting the Inspector General’s Office (IGO) ·          By using the online complaint form  ·        By confidential email: [email protected] ·        In person or by post: 94, rue de Montbrillant, Case postale 2500, 1211 Geneva Mark all mail as CONFIDENTIAL.

As part of ongoing efforts to facilitate traveler crossing and reduce overcrowding, General Authority for Land and Sea Ports (GALSP) announces that, as of Monday, July 14, 2025, all border crossings with Türkiye will operate 24/7.

This aims to facilitate the return of our people to their homeland, relieve pressure on crossings during peak hours, and ensure smooth and speedy border crossing procedures, and thus ensuring the dignity and safety of all travelers.

In its pursuit to facilitate the crossing of Syrian passengers into/out of the country, GALSP, following several coordination sessions with the Turkish side, decides to adopt a new mechanism for Syrian expatriates [from] all over the world (except Türkiye) crossing through Bab Al Hawa border crossing to Syria.

Effective Date of the New Mechanism:

As of Thursday July 10^th, 2025, the new mechanism shall be applied, requiring the submission of a prior crossing permit request for the entry to/exit from Syria through filling out the following form:

www.babalhawa.net/crossing-sy

Important Information and Instructions:

• Documents to be attached with the request:

Copy of the Syrian passport.

Copy of the second nationality passport or residence card.

Copy of the airline ticket (if available).

• Request Processing Time:

Request processing might take up to 15 days, and the applicant will be informed of the result through the following link:

www.babalhawa.net/search        

• This will be done by inserting the passport number in the first search box and then pressing the check button.

Additional Remarks:

• This mechanism applies to Syrians living all over the world (excluding Türkiye), who hold the nationality of another country or a valid residence and wish to come to Syria through the Turkish territory.
• Adult Syrians who hold the nationality of another country shall be allowed to submit the request even if their Syrian passport is expired.
• A request for each family member must be submitted, and all the data must be filled out as written in English on the passport.
• Offsprings of Syrian expatriates below the age of 18 and hold the nationality of another country and do not have the Syrian passport shall be allowed to enter using their foreign passport.
• Everyone shall be allowed to drive their own cars through the border crossing as per the defined fees and required to adhere to the permitted residence period inside Syria.
• All applicants are requested to upload copies of the passports, residence cards, or airplane tickets in a clear and legible format, provided that these documents are scanned exclusively by a scanner. Any request with pictures taken by a mobile phone camera or any other means of photography shall be automatically rejected to ensure the quality of the documents and easy verification by the competent team.
• Syrians who entered Syria through Jordan, Lebanon, or Damascus International Airport cannot benefit from this mechanism, and they have to submit a crossing request to the Turkish embassy in Damascus or Turkish consulate in Aleppo.