Refugees International undertook a first-ever assessment mission to Syria in late October 2005 to spotlight the case of an estimated 300,000 stateless Kurds.

The process of depriving these individuals of their nationality began more than 40 years ago. In 1962, a day-long census was taken in Syria’s northeastern province to take account of Kurds with Syrian citizenship, which by the state’s definition included only those who resided in Syrian territory prior to 1945. The census resulted in the invalidation of the citizenship of some 120,000 Kurds, many of whom had been born on Syrian soil and/or to a Syrian parent. The process was deemed by many sources to be arbitrary as it resulted in split families in which some members were classified as citizens and others as illegal immigrants. Since then, the number of individuals affected has more than doubled, creating a substantial population which cannot avail itself of the fundamental human right to a nationality and is lagging behind the general population in terms of their quality of life.

Without citizenship, these individuals and their descendents are prevented from regular access to education, health care, livelihoods, travel, property ownership, participation in judicial and political systems, and registration of businesses, marriages, and children. In addition, they are denied the right to speak their language in public places, purchase or enjoy Kurdish music in the marketplace, or to participate in Kurdish cultural activities.

During the visit, Refugees International reviewed issues of citizenship, livelihood, health, education, travel, and movement with stateless persons in Damascus, Aleppo, Hasakah, and Qamishli. The team also spent time with representatives of civil and international organizations as well as governments. It is anticipated that the visit will not only help generate greater awareness and understanding of the situation of stateless Kurds in Syria and for persons in similar situations throughout the world, but that is will act as a bridge to resolving them.