After decades without legal status, Syria’s Kurdish population has begun registering for citizenship across the country. The process started last week following a directive from the Interior Ministry, implementing a January decree by President Ahmed al-Sharar granting citizenship to unregistered Kurds. Many applicants, such as 49-year-old Ahmad, described the hardships of living without official documents, including inability to register property, study, or travel.

The decree recognizes Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights and designates Kurdish as a national language. It follows recent clashes between Kurdish fighters and government forces in the northeast, where Kurdish authorities once held control. A February agreement integrated Kurdish administration into the central state, and a senior Kurdish commander, Sipan Hamo, was appointed as assistant deputy defense minister for the eastern region.

Officials said registration centers will remain open for one month, with possible extensions. Civil Affairs officer Abdallah al-Abdallah called the restoration of citizenship the greatest compensation for those long deprived of it.