Legitimate questions are being raised about the future of Palestinian refugees registered in UNRWA records in Syria in light of the collapse of the regime and the political process that is taking place in full swing for the phase of building a new Syria according to a constitution and specifications whose details are being written by experts and specialists.
In the year 1949, according to UNRWA statistics, the number of refugees registered in the agency’s records in Syria reached 80,000 Palestinian refugees, and as of December 2021, the number has become 655,729 refugees living in 9 official camps: (Daraa, Homs, Hama, Al-Nayrab, Qabr al-Sit, Jaramana, Khan Al-Shih, Khan Danoun) in addition to three unofficial camps: (Yarmouk, Ain Al-Tall and Jaramana), distributed among the governorates of Damascus, Damascus countryside, Daraa, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, and Latakia.
Since 2011, as a result of the security and economic conditions, about 150,000 Palestinian refugees have left Syria, distributed to about 23,000 refugees in Lebanon, 13,000 in Jordan, 6,000 in Egypt, 12,000 in Turkey, and thousands more spread across European and Western countries in general.
In addition to thousands of other refugees who were forced into internal displacement; As a result of the destruction of their camps and homes and the regime not allowing them to return to them, especially the Yarmouk camp, which was established in 1957 on an area of land of 2.1 square kilometers, and is considered the largest Palestinian camps in the five areas of UNRWA operations: (the West Bank, including East Jerusalem , the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria), in which approximately 160,000 Palestinian refugees lived before 2011, Registered in UNRWA records, it was part of a continuous geographical and demographic expansion in which the population reached approximately 1,200,000 people, according to UNRWA.
Despite the lack of services and largely destroyed infrastructure, between December 2020 and June 2022 Palestinian refugees were allowed to return to Yarmouk camp, subject to the approval of the Syrian government. It is estimated that approximately 1,200 families (Palestinian and Syrian) have returned to the camp (about 4,000 people), and among these there are approximately 800 Palestinian families.
Legal status
The Palestinian refugee in Syria has gained a legal status that allows him to work, own property, receive hospitalization and education without obtaining citizenship. It was stated in Law No. 260 of 07/10/1956: “The Palestinians residing in the territories of the Syrian Arab Republic on the date of the publication of this law are considered to be essentially Syrians in all that is stipulated.” They are subject to the applicable laws and regulations, and the rights to employment, work, trade, and academic service, while retaining their original nationality.”
A special institution was established to follow up on the affairs of Palestinian refugees: the General Authority for Palestinian Arab Refugees, which was established on 1/25/1949 after the Nakba of Palestine, and is affiliated with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, and is considered the strategic link between UNRWA and the government. Its primary mission is: “organizing the affairs of Palestinian Arab refugees, providing assistance to them, meeting their various needs, finding suitable jobs for them, and proposing measures to determine their current and future conditions.”
Camps that need rehabilitation and reconstruction
Great challenges lie with UNRWA, the new government, and donor countries in reconstructing the demolished camps, as the Yarmouk, Khan al-Shih, Daraa, and Handarat camps are considered among the most damaged camps, and were directly targeted. In addition to the necessity of building schools, clinics, and the rest of the agency’s facilities, resuming work again in all its corners, and facilitating the return of refugees to their camps.
Missing Palestinian refugees
The London-based human rights group Action Group for Palestinians of Syria indicates that since 2011, 4,294 Palestinians have been killed in Syria, and the regime has arrested 3,085 Palestinians, including 127 women and 45 children. It is estimated that there are 333 Palestinians missing.
After December 8, 2024, the opposition was able to liberate 46 Palestinian detainees, 38 of whom were Palestinians from Syria, and 8 from the West Bank. The search is still ongoing for others.
It is estimated that some Palestinians have gone missing in Syria since the 1980s with no evidence yet as to whether they have died or are still alive, as is the case of Palestinian Farouk Subhi Khurshid. His family indicates that he arrived at Damascus airport in 1984, when he was 51 years old, when the regime arrested him and he was no longer traced after that, despite the persistent attempts to search for him.
Palestine Liberation Army and factions
The Palestine Liberation Army was established in 1965, and service in the army is considered compulsory for every Palestinian refugee over the age of nineteen, for a period that began with two and a half years, then decreased to two years, then to a year and a half. What applies to the Syrian army applies to members of the Palestine Liberation Army in terms of service and obligations.
In addition to their service in the “army”, large groups of Palestinian refugees joined the ranks of Palestinian factions affiliated with the regime, took Syria as their headquarters, and participated at one stage in the military actions that were led by the regime in Syria.
However, these factions received a message of reassurance from the Syrian opposition’s military operations department that they would not be attacked after the fall of the regime. They also received reassurances that the Palestinian people and the Palestinian forces would be neutralized, and that their leadership and offices would not be harmed.
Consequently, no Palestinian officials were attacked after the Palestinian factions took the initiative to take a series of steps confirming their commitment to neutrality, such as removing armed manifestations, slogans, and pictures, and closing the camps.
Humanitarian situation
In a striking indication of the difficult humanitarian situation experienced by Palestinian refugees in Syria, the statement circulated by UNRWA on 12/23/2024, under the title “A clarification from UNRWA in Syria to Palestine refugees,” stated: “The fragility of the conditions of Palestine refugees in various Areas of Syria are increasing, as has been shown through numerous surveys conducted by UNRWA teams, and it seems clear that Palestine refugees are finding it difficult to deal with inflation. Increasing prices of basic commodities rise, and thus they resort to eating less food as they cannot afford chicken, meat, etc.
To overcome the challenges, they are forced to resort to negative coping strategies as well, such as children doing hard work, children leaving school, the marriage of underage girls, etc.
According to UNRWA’s global appeal dated January 2023, there are 102 schools in Syria run by the agency, employing 1,876 employees, and receiving 49,500 students annually. There are also 23 primary health care centers that receive 810,000 patient visits annually, and provide 1,012 annual prenatal care for pregnant women, and 680 employees work in these centers.
The agency provides social protection services to a total of 142,500 vulnerable people and provides microfinance loans for a total of 6,824 loans annually. Therefore, the agency is considered one of the important arteries for the lives of Palestinian refugees, especially if we take into account that until December/ December 2024, UNRWA’s emergency appeal for Syria is only 16.72% funded.
Despite all the agency’s efforts to mobilize funds from donors, it has not been possible to mobilize more. However, UNRWA indicates that it was able to provide some basic humanitarian assistance to refugees, as it distributed two rounds of emergency cash assistance covering a period of six months, and also provided food assistance to the most vulnerable refugees. However, none of the other planned humanitarian response activities, including supporting families during the winter, could be implemented.
Back to the camps
On the eighth of this month, and after the first hours of announcing the collapse of the regime in Syria, some Palestinian refugees began returning to their camps, especially from Lebanon, Jordan, and the city of Idlib in Aleppo. UNRWA stated that they are in urgent need of assistance, including cash, food, non-food items and other needs.
The agency began informing donor countries in order to seek appropriate funding. Moreover, the London-based Action Group for the Palestinians of Syria said, in a statement issued on 12/18/2024, that a number of Palestinian refugee families faced difficulties during their return from Turkey to Syria.
She explained that the Turkish authorities prevented them from entering Syrian territory through the border crossings, despite their submission of documents proving that they were born and lived in Syria as Palestinian refugees for decades, due to the word “Palestinian” appearing on the temporary protection cards they hold. This led to the right of return to Syria being limited to Syrian citizens only, which prompted them to appeal to the Palestinian embassy in Türkiye to solve their problem.
Preserving identity and upholding rights
Palestinian refugees in Syria aspire to preserve their Palestinian identity and adherence to their legitimate rights, foremost of which is their right to return to their homes and property in Palestine, in accordance with relevant international resolutions and conventions. They also seek to preserve the social fabric and popular heritage and live in dignity by providing their full economic and social rights in coordination with UNRWA.
Refugees aspire to be part of civil peace, stability and societal security with full integration into the society of the host country, without assimilation that could affect the political dimension related to their issue as refugees and their right to return. They hope that this dimension will be included in the contents of the country’s new constitution.
The opinions expressed in the article do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Tel Aviv Tribune Network.
