Immigration becomes main concern of young people in Syria’s Aleppo
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – After finishing his university study and getting travel approval from the Recruitment Division, Hassan Melqi, 25, is trying to get a passport to go to Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), due to the lack of job opportunities and tightness on the youth inside the country.
Business Administration and Banking Accounting graduator, Hassan, from Salaheddine neighborhood, found difficulty in getting a job because completing both compulsory and reserve military services are sine qua non for working in any company.
Industrialists and youth form the largest group wishing to emigrate because of the economic collapse, the decline in the value of the Syrian Pound against foreign currencies, the increase in unemployment rate, and the lack of vital services for the youth, which constituted a burden on the standard of living, education and work.
Hassan only has six months of school postponement to be able to get a passport; otherwise, getting a passport will be an impossible matter.
Starting from the beginning of 2022 until August 1, the number of those applied for passports has reached 54.398.
This comes days after Syrians were able to obtain a passport electronically, “in an attempt to organize overcrowding in the Immigration Departments.”
This is a shocking indication for those wishing to travel, according to local sources.
The fees for obtaining a passport increased this year than it was last year. Getting a passport costs 50.000 Syrian Pounds (SYP), while the fees for immediate passport are 300.000 SYP.
Muhammad Tarabishi, 45, from al-Qaterji neighborhood in Aleppo city, is trying to obtain a passport for the next three months to get to Egypt.
“My desire is to travel to Egypt to complete the process of starting a sewing workshop, which I closed in Aleppo due to the lack of production and marketing capabilities within the city and other Syrian cities,” he said.