For the first time, the Syrian government will allow citizens abroad to obtain passports without going through painstaking procedures formerly in place, including an intelligence review in Damascus, reported Syria’s al-Watan newspaper.
A document sent by the government to Syrian embassies across the world Thursday gave the embassies authority to issue or renew passports for Syrian citizens abroad, AFP reported.
Many Syrians, fleeing from civil conflict, left the country illegally. Another large number left their passports behind in Syria or possess expired or non-official documents. Even in such cases, passports will be issued according to new rules set out in the document.
The easing in passport rules coincides with talks, set to begin May 4, between UN representatives and rival sides in the ongoing Syrian conflict. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura invited earlier this week the various parties of the conflict to Geneva in the latest attempt to end Syria’s now four-year-old crisis.
