Overview

The Global Organisation for Civil Society Advancement (GLOCA) is proud to publish its latest thematic report:
"Challenges of Refugee and IDP Return in Housing, Land, and Property Rights in Syria."

The report addresses one of the most urgent and complex issues in Syria’s post-conflict transition—the restitution of housing, land, and property (HLP) rights for millions of forcibly displaced individuals. It sheds light on the legal, institutional, urban, and social obstacles that continue to hinder safe, voluntary, and dignified return.

Based on a multi-source qualitative analysis, including a legal workshop held in Aleppo (February 2025), expert papers, and a targeted survey in northwest Syria, the report provides a clear and actionable roadmap to rebuild trust, secure property rights, and advance social justice.

Why This Report Matters

The right to housing and land is not only a legal entitlement—it is central to return, justice, and recovery. Yet, during Syria’s conflict, HLP rights were systematically violated through arbitrary seizures, politically motivated legislation, forced evictions, and widespread destruction. Women and marginalised groups faced disproportionate barriers to property claims and inheritance.

This report argues that these violations cannot be addressed through technical reforms alone. Instead, a comprehensive, multi-level response is needed—one that integrates legal reform, local participation, transitional justice, and international accountability.

Key Findings

🔹 Legislative Gaps: Laws issued between 2012 and 2018—such as Law 66 and Law 10—enabled property confiscation under planning pretexts. These frameworks served as tools of exclusion and repression.

🔹 Institutional Breakdown: Courts lack independence; documentation systems remain fragmented or destroyed. Thousands of original property records have been lost.

🔹 Social Displacement and Trauma: Over 78% of surveyed displaced persons were uprooted multiple times, compounding poverty, instability, and legal vulnerability.

🔹 Lack of Documentation: Around 60% of respondents lacked valid ownership or rental documentation—placing them at high risk of permanent dispossession.

🔹 Community Exclusion: Zoning and reconstruction processes continue without meaningful consultation with affected populations, leading to further marginalisation.

Recommendations

The report proposes an integrated response at three levels:

✅ National Level

• Establish an independent national body for HLP rights and restitution.

• Digitise and unify land records with legal safeguards.

• Reform unjust laws enacted during the conflict.

🌐 International Level

• Mobilise funding and technical expertise.

• Launch partnerships with UN-Habitat, UNDP, and others.

• Enforce international norms against coercive property practices.

🏘 Local Level

• Create provincial committees to handle complaints and raise awareness.

• Support community-led documentation.

• Promote civil society engagement in zoning and planning decisions.

Survey Insight

A community survey of 47 respondents in northwest Syria revealed:

• 44% have no property documentation

• 38.3% live in unstable, insecure housing

• 78.7% experienced displacement more than once

• 55.6% are vulnerable to future disputes due to lack of title deeds

These insights underscore the need for urgent, inclusive reforms that prioritise dignity, restitution, and justice.

Conclusion

As Syria moves toward reconstruction, housing and land rights must not be overlooked. They are the legal and moral foundation for rebuilding lives, homes, and communities.

This thematic report is not only a diagnostic tool—it is a call to action. GLOCA urges all stakeholders—local, national, and international—to work together in restoring rights, repairing harm, and laying the groundwork for a just and inclusive future in Syria.

📥 Download the Full Report: HLP
[Thematic Report – HLP Rights and Return – Syria – GLOCA – May 2025]

🔗 Contact GLOCA:
🌍 www.gloca.org
📧 info@gloca.org
📘 facebook.com/gloca.org