Ex-opposition foreign fighters request Syrian nationality
By Saad al-Yaziji
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – A group of foreign fighters who took part in battles against Syria’s former government have submitted a formal request to the current Syrian authorities to be granted citizenship, according to Reuters.
The applicants, many of whom have lived in Syria for over a decade, argued in their letter that they deserved citizenship for their role in supporting opposition forces during the campaign that eventually led to the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad.
A significant number of the fighters, as well as some relief workers who joined the opposition before the fall of the former government, lack valid legal documentation. Some have been stripped of their original nationalities and face possible long prison terms or even the death penalty if they return to their home countries.
In a letter submitted to the Syrian Ministry of Interior on Thursday, the group requested the right to obtain citizenship, own property, and travel freely. “We shared bread, sorrow, and hope for a free and just future for Syria,” the fighters wrote, while expressing regret that their legal status remained uncertain.
The letter further urged the new Syrian leadership to grant them passports, which would allow them to regularize their stay and avoid the risk of detention.
Reuters identified the person delivering the request as Bilal Abdul Kareem, an American former comedian who became a war correspondent and has been residing in Syria since 2012. Abdul Kareem is known as one of the more prominent voices among foreign Islamist fighters in the country.
Foreign combatants have been a controversial presence in Syria since the early years of the conflict, with some groups aligning themselves with hardline factions such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Others have operated under various opposition umbrellas, including those backed by Turkey.
While the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and its Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have repeatedly called for the repatriation of detained foreign fighters from areas under their control, the issue of foreign militants in territories controlled by the Syrian government remains largely unresolved.
The Ministry of Interior has not issued a public response to the request. It remains unclear whether the government will consider granting citizenship to individuals who previously fought against state forces.