Syria Notes

Our new analysis shows once the system is fully operational, 1.66-1.9m reviews of refugee status would need to be done over the first decade, resulting in a total cost of between £1.1 - 1.27bn, depending on how many people lose their protection at review.

The government’s plan to review refugee status every 30 months is unworkable and extremely costly - and applying it retrospectively to people already granted protection will make an unmanageable system even worse.

Giant text: ILLEGAL ENTRANTS FACE A 30 YEAR WAIT Tiny print underneath: illegal entrants who are not refugees will face a 30 year wait for settlement

This is an insane way to be making policy clarifications, but the Home Sec has tweeted that the increases to settement for illegal entry will not be applied to refugees

h/t @jonfeatonby.bsky.social for flagging this up

حمص.. تدخل أمني لاحتواء تداعيات جريمة بطابع طائفي تحقيقات موسعة في حمص بعد مقتل زوجين وسط اتهامات طائفية. ما هي المعلومات المتاحة حول الحادث؟

Tension prevails in Homs province in central Syria following the murder of a couple in their home in Zaydal, south of Homs city, and the writing of sectarian slogans in their blood, prompting intervention by the army and internal security forces.
— Enab Baladi
www.enabbaladi.net/785088/

Syrian army and SDF reach truce in Raqqa - Enab Baladi The Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reached a truce providing for a complete ceasefire and an […]

In Raqqa, the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reached a truce providing for a complete ceasefire and an end to mutual targeting in the eastern countryside of Raqqa, following a week of clashes between the two sides.
— Enab Baladi
english.enabbaladi.net/archives/202...

Asylum is not illegal migration – why the UK government shouldn’t conflate the two The new proposals transform settlement into something that must be continually earned. The path has become longer, more conditional and far more easily disrupted.

Asylum is not "illegal migration"
Let's start from here theconversation.com/asylum-is-no...

Syria’s disappeared: The long road to justice after Assad Over a decade after Syria’s prison atrocities were exposed by whistleblower ‘Caesar’, families of the missing still search for answers and a grave to mourn at

Lina was arrested in 2013 with her husband and children after a neighbour filed a report.

Many victims’ families shared similar stories about “report writers”: neighbours or colleagues who often fabricated evidence for money, revenge, or both.
@thenewarab.bsky.social
www.newarab.com/analysis/syr...

Trial opens in Koblenz over crimes in Syria: The siege of Yarmouk in focus
— Syrian Network for Human Rights and @ecchr.bsky.social.
snhr.org/blog/2025/11...

The Opening of the Yarmouk Trial in Koblenz, Germany On November 19, 2025, the trial of Jihad A., Mahmoud A., Mazhar J., Sameer S., and Wael S. opened before the Higher Regional Court of Koblenz, Germany. The five accused are charged with murder, war cr...

Jihad A, Mahmoud A, Mazhar J, Sameer S, and Wael S. on trial in Koblenz, Germany, charged with murder, war crimes, crimes against humanity, as part of violent suppression in the Yarmouk District of Damascus between 2012 and 2014.
@sjac-info.bsky.social
syriaaccountability.org/the-opening-...

A newly constructed Israeli outpost sits on a hill in Syria’s southwestern Quneitra province, 14/10/2025

🧵 More than 11 months on, Israel’s occupation of parts of Syria’s southwestern Quneitra province seemingly has no end in sight.

🔗 bit.ly/4nXwPvx

Trials begin for suspects in Syrian coastal-region violations - Enab Baladi The Palace of Justice in Aleppo witnessed today, 18 November, the first public hearing for defendants accused of violations and […]

Charges against former regime remnants include inciting discord, hatred, fomenting sectarian war, joining armed gangs, attacks against govt forces.

Charges against govt-affiliated forces: premeditated killing, committing additional acts against civilians.
english.enabbaladi.net/archives/202...

First trial of coastal massacre suspects underway in Syria The beginning of a trial of suspects accused of involvement in massacres on the Syrian coast last March has been broadcast on national television

First trial of coastal massacre suspects underway in Syria’s Aleppo

Seven men, including former military personnel, accused of attacking government forces, and seven members of the forces loyal to the new authorities, appeared in court.
@thenewarab.bsky.social
www.newarab.com/news/first-t...

Syria Begins Its Coastal Massacre Trial In a moment long demanded by victims’ families, a live-broadcast reckoning has brought alleged perpetrators of violence on both sides of the uprising in March before the same judge

Syria begins its Coastal Massacre trial

In a moment long demanded by victims’ families, a live-broadcast reckoning has brought alleged perpetrators of violence on both sides of the uprising in March before the same judge.
@newlinesmag.bsky.social
newlinesmag.com/spotlight/sy...

Se overblikket: Socialdemokratiet mister bastioner - over 100-årigt styre brudt flere steder Christine Cordsen kalder resultatet for 'et katastrofevalg' for Socialdemokratiet.

Disastrous local election results for Denmark’s Social Democrats

“We had expected to go back, but it seems that the decline is greater than we had expected,” said the party’s chair and Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen.
www.dr.dk/nyheder/poli...

On the sidelines of the #Damascus Day of Dialogue conference, nine organizations outlined their vision to strengthen #Syria's transitional phase

Read the joint paper here:

syriaaccountability.org/joint-positi...

Denmark’s migration policy – an example to follow? - UK in a changing Europe Kristina Bakkær Simonsen explains why countries feel they have something to learn from Denmark's strict migration policy, but argues that there are many key pitfalls.

Danish asylum policy a zero-sum game:

While the Social Democrats won over voters from right-wing parties by going anti-immigration, it also repelled pro-immigration voters who instead defected to other left-wing parties.
ukandeu.ac.uk/denmarks-mig...

Residents of Quneitra lose their livelihoods - Enab Baladi Enab Baladi – Rakan Khader Forms of Israeli incursions into Quneitra province (southwestern Syria) have multiplied, from house searches and […]

Israeli incursions into Quneitra province have multiplied, with house searches and arrests of locals, checkpoints that cut villages and towns off from each other, and the bulldozing of swathes of state nature reserves and privately owned farmland.
— Enab Baladi
english.enabbaladi.net/archives/202...

Israel continues to detain three civilians in Quneitra - Enab Baladi An Israeli army unit advanced on the evening of Saturday, 15 November, north of the town of Khan Arnabeh (in […]

Israel continues to detain three civilians in Quneitra province, southern Syria.
— Enab Baladi
english.enabbaladi.net/archives/202...

Home Secretary announces major asylum and other changes in new policy paper: "Restoring Order and Control" - Free Movement Following a plethora of media briefings and coverage over the past few days, the Home Secretary has officially published her policy paper on "Restoring Order

Home Secretary says 100,000 people now in asylum accommodation, and many remain unemployed several years after being granted protection, but this is result of poor processing of claims and the ban on work for those in the system, @freemovement.bsky.social writes.
freemovement.org.uk/home-secreta...

The Home Secretary says "we have become the destination of choice in Europe, clearly visible to every people smuggler and would-be illegal migrant across the world"

That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims

Asked about Tommy Robinson supporting her asylum plans Shabana Mahmood replies that "Tommy Robinson doesn't even think I'm actually English, so he will certainly not be supporting anything I've got to say."

But he is supporting what she's got to say. That was the point of the question

Syrian British SBC on UK asylum policy

Syrian asylum seekers remain stranded awaiting decisions on claims.

Many others have been waiting for more than a year for rulings on their applications for permanent residency after their five-year refugee period ended.
syrianbritish.org/statement-re...

Fact-finding committee announces start of trials for suspects in Syria’s coastal-region violence - Enab Baladi The head of the National Committee for Investigation and Fact-Finding into the coastal events, Jomaa al-Anzi, announced the start of […]

Fact-finding committee announces start of trials for suspects in Syria’s coastal-region violence

Previously reported that 298 people accused of attacks on civilians and 265 accused of attacks against Public Security were referred to judiciary.
— Enab Baladi
english.enabbaladi.net/archives/202...

Syrian state-run news agency (SANA) quotes Foreign Ministry source saying there is no truth to an AFP report that the Syrian govt is to hand over Uyghur fighters to China.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today.
english.enabbaladi.net/archives/202...

ICE-style raids on Britain's streets: that's all Labour's brutal asylum reforms will achieve | Stella Creasy If we want to ‘stop the boats’, we need to stop the BS when it comes to what creates refugees, and how to respond to them, says Labour MP Stella Creasy

ICE-style raids on Britain’s streets: that’s all Labour’s brutal asylum reforms will achieve

This government is proposing to keep victims of torture or persecution in a perpetual limbo by only offering them temporary sanctuary, writes @stellacreasy.bsky.social.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A list of all the Labour MPs criticising Shabana Mahmood's immigration proposals Opposition to the government's asylum reforms is spreading beyond the usual suspects

Tracked: The Labour MPs criticising their own immigration policy

Opposition to the government’s asylum reforms is spreading beyond the usual suspects, @newstatesman1913.bsky.social reports.
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Asylum reform: Full list of MPs opposing government's immigration proposals - LabourList Shabana Mahmood has proposed sweeping new reforms to the UK asylum system today, which has quickly led to a visceral backlash from many Labour figures.

More than a dozen Labour MPs have expressed criticism of changes to Britain’s asylum system proposed by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

The new measures could see fast-tracked deportations, and a quadrupling of the time it might take to achieve permanent status.
labourlist.org/2025/11/asyl...

Eight military airfields around Damascus, what are they? - Enab Baladi A Reuters report revealed the U.S. intent to use an air base in Syria to help enable a security agreement […]

Damascus and its countryside contains eight military airfields. Following a Reuters report that the US is looking to establish a new air base in Syria, Enab Baladi has details on these eight.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry denies the establishment of a new US base.
english.enabbaladi.net/archives/202...

UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.

This won’t stop people seeking protection in the UK. It will make it harder for refugees to rebuild their lives, feel secure and contribute to their communities. It will create a load more work for the Home Office, reviewing claims every three years.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Al-Shibani opens Syrian embassy in London - Enab Baladi The Syrian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday, November 13, that its embassy has officially resumed operations in the British capital, […]

Al-Shibani opens Syrian embassy in London
— Enab Baladi
english.enabbaladi.net/archives/202...