Academic Paper: Palestinian Refugees in Syria After the Fall of the Regime: A New Reality - Hopes and Challenges (Arabic)

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This paper by Hanin Omar Mourad is significant as one of the first comprehensive studies to examine the situation of Palestinian refugees in Syria’s various refugee camps (RCs) following the dramatic political shift caused by the fall of the Syrian regime and the establishment of a new administration. It explores how this new government is addressing the critical issues facing the refugees and identifies the parties responsible for their affairs. The study also captures the hopes and concerns of the refugees during this sensitive and pivotal moment in the history of the Palestine issue, set against a backdrop of complex regional dynamics. The analysis draws on a range of well-documented academic sources available on the topic.

Mourad examines the political and social conditions of Palestinian refugees in Syria, focusing especially on the 12 RCs where they reside, alongside other Palestinian communities. It also highlights the impact of the Syrian war on their daily, political, security and economic lives, as well as the developments that followed during the transitional phase after the fall of the Syrian regime, leading up to the assumption of Syrian administration.

The paper provides a detailed analysis of the hopes and concerns of Palestinian refugees amid the new developments in Syria. These include hopes for improved security conditions in the RCs, better living standards, economic relief, humanitarian aid, infrastructure, services, reconstruction, and the recovery of properties, especially in northern Syria. At the same time, there are concerns about the fate of detainees and forcibly disappeared individuals, anticipation of any legal amendments affecting the rights of Palestinian refugees, fears of potential normalization with Israel, concerns over naturalization, settlement or deportation, and anxieties about the reduction of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees’ (UNRWA’s) role and the loss of Palestinian representative legitimacy.

Mourad concludes that Palestinian refugees in Syria, amid the current transitional phase, are awaiting the enactment of laws that uphold their dignity and national identity and guarantee their rights. They also hope that Syria will restore its security and prosperity and remain confident that the Syrian people will continue to stand firmly with the Palestine issue and its struggle against efforts of liquidation, displacement and occupation. Furthermore, they trust in Syria’s resilience in facing the significant transformations underway both within the country and across the broader region.