Syrian Citizenship Disappeared ment. In my opinion, the process of delimitation and registration that accompanied the expropriation of the lands aimed, at least partially, to seize the stateless’ properties.”107 Rashad Me‘o was born in Sari Kani/Ras al-Ein in 1980. He is married with two children, and works as a carpenter. He submitted his papers to the Personal State Department, trying to resolve his legal status as maktum, but in vain: “We encountered problems regarding ownership. Until today, I am unable to register any property in my own name. I dreamed to purchase a motorbike and register it in my name but that was impossible”.108 Aziz Pirro, as a maktum, cannot register any property in his name being maktum either: “There have been many challenges. My grandfather owned agricultural lands but lost them as a result of the 1958 agrarian reform law. My father was not entitled the right to usufruct due to his legal status as maktum. I was working in farming and was forced, at the end of the harvest, to ship the crops in the name of someone else. I don’t have a driving license, so I couldn’t even drive a car. That’s why I decided to travel abroad before 2011 and return later.” As a maktumah, Dlo Mohammed, too, was prevented from registering anything in her name: “Until now my father cannot register his property in his name nor in ours simply because we do not have the right to property ownership. Fortunately, my mother because she is a citizen, so all our properties are registered in her name.» Ramadan al-Mohammed was born in Hilwa town, in al-Hasakah province, in 1945. He is married and has children. He experienced the consequences of the 1958 land reform: 107 The 1958 law was implemented over a period of several years, and continued after the 1962 census. It supposed committees to visit, determine and register lands. 108 STJ’s field researcher conducted direct interview with him in March 2018. “We couldn’t register our properties in our own names. After the 1958 land reform and the expropriations that came along, the mukhtar only gave us 2 hectares because we were stateless, while other citizen farmers managed to obtain large parts.”109 Midia Hasan, a pseudonym, recalled that her family lost many properties owning to being maktumeen and lacking property titles. Not being able to own property also means not being entitled to inherit from their family. Thus, the Syrian government, confiscated the properties of her grandfather following his death. Abu Mohammed, using an alias, confirmed the struggle his family faced when his grandfather died: “My grandfather could not bequeath his lands to us and when he died, the Syrian government confiscated them. Now we are trying to go to court to get them back.” Nasraadin Aradm Ibrahim was born in Ras al-Ein/ Sari Kani city, in al-Hasakah province, in 1956. He is married and has children. He is still maktum and has been facing barriers due to his legal status. When he purchased an agricultural vehicle to work on for sustenance, he was not entitled to register it in his name. For Lukman Ayyanah, lawyer, the grave issue to the stateless was the inability to obtain property deeds, being residential or agricultural. He narrated to STJ, “Delimitation and registration process110 carried out in the 1980s in al-Hasakah province, particularly in the north, resulted in records listing and numbering each property. The properties were registered in the name of the person who was present during the process, but only under the conditions of proving they were Syrian nationals. Consequently, ownership of all residential properties and agricultural lands of the state109 STJ’s field researcher conducted direct interview with him in Qamishli in March 2018. 110 For more information on an example of Delimitation and Registration, please click on the following link: http://www.parliament.gov.sy/laws/Law/1926/structure_25.htm (Land Delimitation and Registration Law issued by Resolution No. 186 of 1926). 35