A private source revealed to Zaman al-Wasl that civil registry offices in Syria have begun issuing official documents with fundamental amendments to the civil records of Palestinian Syrians. The term "Palestinian Syrian," which had been in use for decades, has been removed and replaced with the term "Palestinian resident."
According to newly extracted documents, the amendment also includes the "governorate" column, which previously referred to locations such as Damascus, Aleppo, or Daraa. It has been replaced with the term "foreigner," meaning that geographic affiliation has been completely removed from birth records.
Zaman al-Wasl was able to view a recent family registration extract, issued for individuals between the ages of 30 and 50, in which the nationality was changed from "Palestinian Syrian" to "Palestinian resident" and the name of the governorate was replaced with "foreigner." This is a clear indication that the measure will be applied retroactively and could affect millions of Palestinians residing in Syria.
This amendment raises broad questions about the authorities' intention to redefine the legal status of Palestinian Syrians, and the implications of this for issues of citizenship, passports, and residency rights.
Zaman Al Wasl
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