Syria cannot benefit – such as documentation requirements, obligation to register in a specific district and the need to process the request with all family members present.44 The Syrian government did not published updated statistics on the number of formerly stateless Kurds who have accessed citizenship after the 2011 Decree was passed. UNHCR reporting from 2016 states that by mid-2013, approximately 104,000 Kurds had benefitted from the naturalization process.45 32. Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, there have been a number of significant developments relating to stateless Kurds in Syria. Notably, Presidential Decree No 13 from January 2026 is a welcome development to address Kurdish statelessness in Syria. Its Article 4 states that “All exceptional laws and measures resulting from the 1962 census in Al‑Hasakah province are annulled. Syrian citizenship is granted to all residents of Kurdish origin living in Syria, including those previously unregistered, with full equality in rights and duties.”46 Following the issuance of subsequent Implementing Procedures,47 a pathway has been established for stateless maktumeen Kurds to apply for citizenship. The Implementing Procedures regulated the opening of registration for an initial one-month period, which was later extended. Registration began on 6 April and was open for a month, and later extended by 15 days.48 In May 2026, the Syrian Interior Ministry reported that 2,892 family applications had been received, covering 10,516 individuals, since the process opened on April 6, 2026.49 In June 2026, the authorities began conducting interviews with applicants as part of the second phase of the application process.50 As yet, no clear timeframe has been set for applicants learning the outcome of their applications. 33. While the efforts by the current Syrian authorities have been acknowledged as a positive step in addressing Kurdish statelessness,51 notably to date no mechanism has been established to facilitate the application of stateless maktumeen Kurds from Syria who are currently residing outside the country.52 It is worth noting that in 2022 the Norwegian Refugee Council reported one in twelve Syrian refugees in Dohuk to have been stateless Kurds.53 And it is known that there are a considerable number of stateless Kurds residing in Europe and elsewhere. 44 European Network on Statelessness and Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion, “Statelessness in Syria,” August 2019, available at: https://statelessjourneys.org/wp-content/uploads/StatelessJourneys-Syria-August-2019.pdf. 45 UNHCR, “Global Report 2012 – Syrian Arab Republic,” 19 June 2013, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/51b1d63cb.html. 46 Syrian Arab News Agency, President al-Sharaa issues decree that confirms Kurds as basic part of Syrian people 16 January 2026: https://sana.sy/en/politics/2290787. 47 Decision No. 144/m from the Ministry of Interior, Civil Affairs Department, 18 February 2026. 48 UNHCR, UNHCR welcomes efforts to address statelessness among Kurdish communities in Syria, 4 June 2026: https://www.unhcr.org/sy/news/press-releases/unhcr-welcomes-efforts-address-statelessness-among-kurdishcommunities-syria. 49 Syrian Arab News Agency, Syria releases first interview schedules for Kurds applying for Syrian citizenship, 21 June 2026: https://sana.sy/en/syria/2324548. 50 Ibid. 51 UNHCR, UNHCR welcomes efforts to address statelessness among Kurdish communities in Syria, 4 June 2026: https://www.unhcr.org/sy/news/press-releases/unhcr-welcomes-efforts-address-statelessness-among-kurdishcommunities-syria. 52 Synergy Association for Victims, Network of Statelessness Victims in al-Hasakah (NSVH), MENA Statelessness Network (Hawiati), Between Hope and Challenges: Restoring Nationality to Stateless Kurds in Syria Joint Monitoring and Assessment Report on the Implementation of Article 4 of Decree No. 13 of 2026, 23 June 2026: https://hevdesti.org/en/en-decree-no13-and-restoring-nationality-to-stateless-kurds-in-syria. 53 Norwegian Refugee Council, Understanding statelessness among Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, August 2022. 10