Displaced Kurdish families submit return lists to Syria’s Ras al-Ain
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – The Committee of Displaced Residents of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) city in Hasakah Governorate, northeastern Syria, submitted lists of displaced families to senior officials as part of ongoing preparations for their eventual return to the city, a committee representative told North Press on Sunday.
Mahmoud Jamil, spokesperson for the committee, said copies of the lists were handed to SDF Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi, presidential team member Mustafa Abdi, and the governor of Hasakah Nour al-Din Ahmad.
“We are now waiting for a response from the relevant authorities regarding the lists of displaced residents in order to determine the mechanism for returning to Sere Kaniye,” Jamil said.
According to Jamil, the committee registered and documented approximately 14,000 displaced families from Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain).
He added that security concerns remain the main obstacle to the return process.
Jamil pointed out that the committee called for displaced residents to have a role in the future administration of the city and to participate in local security forces responsible for protecting the area.
The committee also requested compensation or assistance for returnees, arguing that nearly 70 percent of homes belonging to displaced residents were damaged or looted during the years of displacement.
“We have not yet received a specific date for the return of displaced residents,” Jamil said. “However, the return could happen soon.”
Tens of thousands of residents were displaced from Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and its countryside following the Turkish military operation and the advance of Ankara-backed armed factions into the area in late 2019.
Displaced residents and local organizations have repeatedly called for conditions that would enable a safe, voluntary and dignified return, including security guarantees, restoration of basic services and support for rebuilding damaged homes and infrastructure.