Syrian Interior Ministry Issues Directive to Implement Citizenship Decree for Kurds

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - In a move described as urgent and far-reaching, Syria’s Ministry of Interior has ordered the full restoration of Syrian nationality to all Kurdish residents, formally annulling the legal consequences of the 1962 census that stripped tens of thousands of Kurds of citizenship.

On Wednesday, the Syrian Ministry of Interior issued an official and urgent directive addressed to the General Directorate of Civil Affairs, instructing the immediate implementation of Presidential Decree No. 13 of 2026, which specifically addresses the Kurdish nationality file in the country.

The directive, bearing the signature of Interior Minister Anas Khattab and marked “urgent,” was circulated internally and later obtained by media outlets. It stresses the immediate enforcement of the decree’s provisions without delay.

According to the document, the ministry emphasized the application of Article Four of the decree, which states: “All exceptional laws and procedures resulting from the 1962 census of Hasakah province are hereby annulled.”

The decision explicitly mandates that Syrian nationality be granted to all citizens of Kurdish origin residing in Syria, in all categories, including those who were never officially registered and classified as ‘Maktoumeen Qaid’. The directive underscores that nationality is to be granted with full equality in rights and duties.

In another section of the order, the Interior Minister, based on Article Seven of the decree, instructed the General Directorate of Civil Affairs to immediately begin preparing the necessary executive regulations to ensure swift and orderly implementation.

The document further calls for easing administrative procedures to the maximum extent possible, stating: “All measures should take into account facilitating procedures as much as possible for our Kurdish families.”

The Ministry of Interior also set a strict deadline for completion of the process. All procedural steps and executive instructions must be finalized no later than Feb. 5, 2026, and the ministry must be formally notified upon completion.

The decision is widely regarded as a historic turning point for Kurds in Syria, many of whom were deprived of citizenship following the 1962 census. Since then, large numbers were classified as “foreigners” or “unregistered,” leaving them without full citizenship rights for decades.

The Kurdish nationality issue in Syria dates back to the 1962 Hasakah census, conducted under Legislative Decree No. 93, issued on Aug. 23, 1962, following Syria’s separation from Egypt. The census was carried out exclusively in Hasakah province and resulted in the removal of Syrian citizenship from tens of thousands of Kurds who were unable to prove residence in Syria prior to 1945.

As a result, Kurdish families were divided into three legal categories: citizens, foreigners registered as ‘al-Hasakah’s Foreigners’, and unregistered individuals.

Those stripped of citizenship were barred from voting, running for office, employment in the public sector, land ownership, vehicle registration, and access to state support services.

Between 1962 and 2011, the number of Kurds deprived of citizenship exceeded 517,000. By 2011, more than 346,000 individuals were officially registered as al-Hasakah’s foreigners.

Subsequently, more than 326,000 individuals obtained Syrian nationality, while approximately 20,000 remained without citizenship even after decades, according to documented figures up to 2018.

The number of unregistered individuals exceeded 171,000, with only a limited portion later obtaining nationality, while tens of thousands remained without legal status.

On April 7, 2011, the Syrian government issued Legislative Decree No. 49, which stated: “Those registered in the records of al-Hasakah’s foreigners shall be granted Syrian Arab nationality.”

With the issuance of Decree No. 13 and a fixed implementation deadline, Syrian authorities have formally initiated a comprehensive legal process aimed at resolving one of the longest-standing citizenship issues affecting Kurds in Syria.