Syria to void Assad-era foreign fighters citizenships

Shafaq News/ Syria’s newly appointed Civil Affairs Chief, Abdullah Abdullah, announced on Tuesday that the transitional government, led by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, plans to revoke the citizenship granted to foreign nationals under former President Bashar al-Assad.

The decision primarily affects individuals who obtained Syrian nationality for political or military reasons, particularly those involved in the country’s conflict since 2011. However, Abdullah noted that the process will take time as authorities work to restore the severely damaged civil registry database.

“This measure does not apply to those who acquired citizenship through legal means, such as marriage to Syrian nationals,” he clarified.

According to Abdullah, most foreign nationals naturalized under Al-Assad have since left Syria, with Iraq believed to be a primary destination. However, he acknowledged that providing an exact number remains difficult.

 Syria TV suggested that Al-Assad granted citizenship to between 20,000 and 740,000 foreign nationals, many reportedly recruited under the supervision of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Since 2011, local sources have documented the recruitment of thousands of fighters from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Lebanon.

In 2015, Al-Assad stated that “Syria belongs to those who defend it,” a declaration observers say it facilitated the naturalization of foreign fighters and granted them privileges, including property ownership rights in Damascus.