Damascus, SANA- Government Communications Officer at the Ministry of Justice, Mohammad Samer al-Abed, confirmed that work is ongoing to resolve travel ban and asset-freeze notices recorded against Syrians, most of which date back over the past 14 years.
Al-Abed told SANA that millions of notices have already been lifted, with efforts continuing to address the remaining cases. He attributed delays in processing some files to the sheer volume of names, overlapping data, the lack of prior automation, and in many cases the absence of paper records—factors that required the involvement of specialized teams from the Ministries of Interior and Finance.
He noted that the outstanding notices largely concern ordinary criminal cases or civil and administrative matters. Current regulations stipulate that returning travelers will not be detained, but only notified to settle their legal status—unless there are active cases filed by the Public Prosecutor.
The Ministry emphasized that the former regime had used the travel ban system as a tool of repression to prevent Syrians from leaving the country. The ongoing efforts to resolve pending notices, in cooperation with relevant authorities, represent a key step toward strengthening the rule of law and restoring public trust in state institutions.
Nisreen Othman / Manar Salameh