Legal Identity and Housing, Land and Property Rights of Syrian Refugees from a Durable Solutions Perspective Challenges and Opportunities Section 4 Conclusions and Recommendations The right to legal identity, including access to legal and civil documentation, and HLP rights are critical to the protection environment and to achieving durable solutions. They provide a foundation on which Syrians can sustainably rebuild their lives.131 Despite the efforts that the Syrian and host governments have made since the start of the conflict to improve and increase access to civil documentation, many Syrian refugees remain unable to obtain, replace, or update documentation. A lack of documentation can have longlasting and far-reaching implications; during displacement, protection risks are increased, and in the longer term, refugees may face difficulties when seeking a durable solution. Death registration is of critical importance, as it directly affects matters of inheritance, as well as guardianship, parentage, and nationality of children. Families without documentation for deceased or missing relatives are left in a state of limbo, unable to claim custody and inheritance. Women who married informally face particular challenges related to claiming custody and inheritance. In some cases, refugees are adopting inherently risky coping mechanisms in an attempt to address their documentation needs, including obtaining fraudulent documents. A lack of civil documentation also affects refugees’ access to income-generating opportunities and HLP rights.132 Violations of HLP rights and the lack of fair and effective mechanisms for HLP compensation or restitution remain obstacles for return.133 Women will likely continue to face particular challenges in claiming their property and inheritance rights ranging from administrative and practical constraints to threats of violence, exploitation and rejection from their families.134 If the challenges related to accessing civil documentation and HLP rights, including property restitution and compensation in line with international law, are not addressed for Syrian refugees, durable solutions will be harder to achieve in the longer term and future recovery efforts in Syria will be negatively affected. Concrete steps can and should continue to be taken to tackle the grave challenges that Syrian refugees face in claiming their rights to legal identity and HLP. A set of recommendations for the attention of governments, humanitarian and development actors and donors is provided below. 131 132 133 134 UNHCR, 2018, Comprehensive Protection and Solutions Strategy: Protection Thresholds and Parameters for Refugee Return to Syria, https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/ details/63223 UNHCR, March 2021, Sixth Regional Survey on Syrian Refugees’ Perceptions and Intentions on Return to Syria, https://reporting.unhcr. org/sites/default/files/MENA%20regional%20 survey.pdf UNHCR, 2018, Comprehensive Protection and Solutions Strategy: Protection Thresholds and Parameters for Refugee Return to Syria, https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/ details/63223 World Bank, 2019, The Mobility of Displaced Syrians: An Economic and Social Analysis. Photo: UNHCR / Lilly Carlisle 21