The Syrian Coalition’s General Assembly thanked all the countries that begun to accept the expired travel documents belonging to Syrians and allow them to move freely.
In a press release issued on Monday, the Syrian Coalition said that its General Assembly “thank the countries that began to accept the expired passports belonging to Syrians and allow them to move freely.”
The Coalition expressed hope that “other countries would follow suit and prevent the Assad regime from further exploiting this issue to put financial and political pressure on Syrians.”
Last week, the German government issued a decision exempting Syrian refugees on its territory from the obligation to obtain identity papers should going to the Assad regime’s embassy will endanger them or their relatives in Syria.
In a letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Head of the Syrian Coalition’s media department Ahmed Ramadan asked for a similar decision in order to put an end to the Assad regime’s blackmail of Syrians.
“I ask your Excellency to exempt the Syrians in Turkey from the obligation to renew their travel documents or go to the consulate of the Assad regime and accept the residence permit and the expired passports.”
Ramadan added: “Nearly 3.5 million Syrians in Turkey are subjected to blackmail, insults and intimidation. In addition, Assad regime-linked gangs are profiteering from this.”
Ramadan pointed out that “the Assad regime charges $800-1200 USD for the renewal of a single passport for just two years, which allows it to squeeze revenue and fill its coffers with about three billion US dollars from one country only.
Ramadan concluded his message by saying: “Blackmail must ends. The tyrannical Assad regime must not be allowed to further squeeze more revenue out of this.” (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
