Syria opposition: Assad will strip citizenship of half the population with new ID cards

Over 14 million Syrians are at risk of being stripped of their most basic rights under a new Assad regime project aimed at issuing new ID cards to Syrians living in regions under its control, reported Yeni Şafak

According to the Turkish daily, over half of Syrians who live in opposition-controlled areas or were forced to flee their country due to the raging civil war and massacres are at risk of being stripped of their citizenship and may lose the right to their possessions and property under a new ID system being introduced by the Assad regime.

As many as 14 million Syrians – the total number of displaced Syrians –  are said to be at risk of being stripped of their most basic rights, which observers say is a clear attempt by the regime to partition the country.

In a statement issued by the Syrian Interim Government, the opposition group accused the regime of playing a “dirty and dangerous game”. Head of Syria’s Interim Government, Jawad Abu Hatab, said the regime was seizing the social, political and economic rights of all Syrians abroad.

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It’s reported that one of the precondition, which the Assad regime has introduced for granting new IDs, is for Syrians to be residing in regions controlled by government forces. “This is an open declaration to divide Syria. This is an attempt that serves both the goals of the regime and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK),” Abu Hatab added.

Syrian Turkmen Council head Wajeeh Jumaam cited by Yeni Şafak said that the initiative aimed at demographic change and partition in Syria to another level. “Over 1.3 million Turkmens are at risk of losing all of their property. This sinister project must definitely be blocked,” said Jumaam who believes that the rights of 59 per cent of Syrians are being threatened.

A major concern highlighted in the report is the face to face meeting that is required before new ID cards are issued. Millions of displaced Syrians are in danger of not getting the new ID cards either because they are refuges or because they live in territory not controlled by the regime.

It’s reported that those who fail to report to the civil registry in Assad-controlled regions by the end of 2019 will lose their right to citizenship and property.