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Damascus – The Syrian Network for Human Rights:
In December 2025, the Danish Immigration and Integration Office issued a report on the security situation in Syria and the conditions of returning displaced persons and refugees following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 until October 2025. The report analyzes the changing security environment, patterns of refugee return, and changes in documentation and administrative procedures. It is based on in-depth desk research and consultations with international organizations, Syrian authorities, NGOs, security experts, and human rights actors in Europe, Syria, and Lebanon. The report aims to provide information and support for determining refugee status.
The report stated that SNHR said that those returning to Syria often have financial resources and come primarily from countries with weak services, such as Lebanon, while returns from Europe remain limited. Syria suffers from a severe shortage of public services and housing, with significantly high rents, placing a burden on returnees. Although the prices of some basic commodities have decreased and public sector wages have increased, regional disparities remain evident. Economic activity has partially improved, particularly in construction, but the education sector is in a precarious state. Entry procedures are relatively flexible, requiring the resolution of non-political civil cases upon return.
The report, according to SNHR, added that the authorities have not announced an official policy regarding draft dodgers and deserters, but they enjoy freedom of movement if they can prove they left before the fall of the regime. Deserters are not required to regularize their status, and compulsory military service has been abolished, though no cases of forced conscription have been recorded.
Regarding the judicial system, the report noted that military courts were suspended prior to the fall of the previous government, and it is unclear whether they were transferred to the Ministry of Justice. The judicial system is described as relatively stable, although there are reports of delays in some cases due to the replacement of corrupt judges implicated in wrongdoing under the previous government.
The report stated that SNHR said that criticism of the transitional authorities is generally possible without direct repercussions, though the level of tolerance varies between regions. The SNHR did not document a systematic policy of targeting dissidents, although it recorded a limited number of arrests for public criticism or via social media, and those arrested were often later released. There is no systematic targeting of relatives of dissidents, and the authorities lack the capacity for widespread individual surveillance, primarily dealing with high-profile cases.
The report added that SNHR documented the arrest of individuals on charges of affiliation with the former regime, sometimes based on credible evidence and sometimes on rumors or local disputes. Although the pace of arrests has recently slowed, the reasons for the detentions remain unclear. Authorities have arrested prominent figures implicated in human rights abuses, but no systematic reprisals against former employees have been documented.
The report also stated that some Alawites were arrested on charges of past abuses, while others were released due to lack of evidence, prompting individual acts of reprisal. Authorities face difficulties in protecting them despite pledges of equality. While no systematic patterns of discrimination against Christians and Kurds were documented, isolated incidents of kidnapping and reprisals did occur. Security efforts remain limited due to the proliferation of weapons and the presence of independent armed groups. The situation of women has not fundamentally changed since the political transition. While no systematic government abuses were documented, isolated kidnappings continued, and challenges related to employment, housing, and protection remained largely unchanged.
The full report can be viewed via the following link.
