Syrian Border Authority Clarifies Travel Procedures and Refutes Claims of “Travel Bans”

The General Authority for Land and Maritime Border Crossings in Syria issued a clarification regarding what has been circulated on social media about “travel ban” procedures at border checkpoints, particularly with Turkey, confirming that several of the circulated claims are “inaccurate.”

Mazen Alloush, Director of Relations at the Authority, said in a statement published on his Facebook page on Wednesday evening that some border points had been operating in recent months using their own internal transit system, which differs from the centralized electronic system adopted by the Ministry of Interior. He added that the Authority, in cooperation with the Interior Ministry, has begun gradually implementing the new electronic system across all crossings, most recently at the crossings with Turkey.

Alloush explained that the activation of the updated system resulted in the appearance of old records for some travelers, related to reviews or arrest requests issued by security, financial, or judicial entities under the previous system, which caused confusion among those arriving from Turkey.

He confirmed that all passenger affairs staff at the crossings had been instructed to allow travel for individuals whose records show old reviews issued by security or military branches that no longer exist, without requiring them to undergo any review, and that travel restrictions apply solely to criminal or financial cases or those involving personal rights.

Alloush noted that there were “limited individual errors” during the first days of implementing the new system, where some travelers were mistakenly asked to report to security entities that no longer exist. He affirmed that these errors were corrected and that the necessary instructions were circulated to prevent their recurrence.

He added that the Authority has reinforced its technical teams and data-entry staff and opened new service windows for travelers, particularly at the Bab al-Hawa and al-Salamah crossings, which witness high traffic.

According to Alloush, the “criminal record check” (known as al-feesh) is a procedure under the exclusive authority of the Ministry of Interior, while the Authority’s role is limited to organizing the flow of transit and providing services for travelers. He added that the system updates are part of broader efforts to address old security bulletins dating back to what he described as the “era of the previous regime,” which, according to earlier official statements, exceed eight million notices.