Syria: Whether a Kurd born in Syria from Syrian parents and who left Syria without permission would be entitled to return and acquire Syrian citizenship
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 August 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SYR29911.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Syria: Whether a Kurd born in Syria from Syrian parents and who left Syria without permission would be entitled to return and acquire Syrian citizenship, 1 August 1998, SYR29911.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abef18.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided during a 14 August 1998 telephone interview with an official at the Consular section at the Embassy of Syria in Washington, DC.
The representative stated that children born of a Syrian father are automatically considered Syrian citizens. Children born of a Syrian mother and a foreign father do not have the right to Syrian citizenship.
The representative added that if the parents and the children were born in Syria, they all have the right to Syrian citizenship. They can apply for citizenship at any Syrian embassy. They must provide their birth certificate and, for the parents, a marriage certificate. If citizenship is granted, the child and the parents would have the same right to return in Syria as any other Syrians.
The representative was unaware whether leaving Syria without permission would subject the family or the children to penalty upon their return to Syria.
For additional information on Kurds and citizenship issues in Syria, please consult the October 1996 report by Middle East Watch entitled Syria: The Silenced Kurds. This document is available at your Regional Documentation Centre.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Embassy of Syria, Washington, DC. 14 August 1998. Telephone interview with official.
