Since Israel intensified its airstrikes on Lebanon on 23 September, approximately 100,000 people fled to Syria within just one week, seeking to escape the escalating conflict. Of those fleeing, 60 per cent are returning Syrian refugees, while the remaining 40 per cent are newly displaced Lebanese nationals, according to the UN refugee agency. Most of those fleeing, according to the UNHCR, were children under the age of eighteen, making up 60 per cent of the total arrivals, along with women and people with disabilities. On 29 September, the Syrian government waived the USD 100 entry fee for Syrian nationals. Some shelters were also reportedly set up for a limited number of Lebanese nationals. However, Syria remains insecure and returning refugees risk persecution by government forces and/or armed groups, as well as difficulties accessing basic services, housing, and employment.

Sources: UNHCR, UNFPA, Al Jazeera, Ministry of Finance of the Syrian Arab Republic, Syrian Network for Human Rights, International IDEA

Syria held parliamentary elections on 15 July in the 70 per cent of Syrian territory controlled by President Bashar al-Assad. According to the Higher Judicial Committee for Elections (HJCE), 1,516 candidates ran for the 250 seats in the Syrian People’s Assembly (Majlis Al-Shaab). All candidates were pre-approved by the HJCE, and 7,400 pre-approved candidates withdrew before the election. The HJCE annulled election results in some polling stations in Hama, Aleppo and its countryside, Latakia, and Daraa due to reports of ballot stuffing, with the elections re-run in the affected areas on 16 July. The HJCE reported a voter turnout of 38.16 percent. The ruling Ba'athist party won 169 seats, its allied parties secured 16 seats, and independents obtained 65 seats. The Syrian opposition condemned the election, which lacked credible observers. Before the vote, protesters in the cities of Sweida and Daraa called for boycotts, arguing that the election did not align with UNSC Resolution 2254, which stipulates that parliamentary and presidential elections in Syria should occur within a political process after forming a credible transitional governing body. A total of 24 women MPs were elected, four less than in the 2020 parliament.

Sources: SANA (1), SANA (2), Al Arabiya, Syria TV (1), Syria TV (2), IPU, International IDEA

In early July, protesters in the southern Syrian governorate of Sweida called for a boycott of the 15 July parliamentary elections. Local media reported peaceful demonstrations, with participants condemning the elections as illegitimate, following an online campaign by Syrian opposition activists. On election day, protesters reportedly seized ballot boxes at some of the 268 polling stations in Sweida, attempting to block the polls. A passerby in Sweida was injured when security forces opened fire, though no major clashes were reported. Protests in the predominantly Druze governorate of Sweida started in August 2023, driven by opposition to military conscription.

Sources: Enab Baladi (1), Enab Baladi (2), Suwayda 24, The National, International IDEA

In early July, northwestern Syria experienced notable unrest, including protests and attacks targeting Turkish military forces. The burning of lorries and assaults on Turkish assets led to clashes between armed protesters and Turkish forces, resulting in the death of seven people along the Turkish-controlled Syrian border. In response, Türkiye closed border crossings and shut down Turkish-linked internet networks. This development, coinciding with a rise in anti-Syrian sentiment in Türkiye, highlights growing tensions among certain factions of the Syrian opposition. These tensions are fueled by fears that Türkiye might be moving towards normalizing relations with the Syrian government, which could impact the conflict dynamics in Syria's northwest.

Sources: Middle East Institute, France 24, Enab Baladi, International IDEA

A report published in April by Amnesty International alleges that Islamic State (IS) suspects and their families held in detention facilities in the autonomous north-east region of Syria have been subjected to widespread human rights abuses by the authorities there. According to the report, many of the estimated 56,000 detainees had been tortured, suffering ‘severe beatings, stress positions, electric shocks and gender-based violence’ and that ‘thousands more’ had been disappeared. It also found that detainees were deprived of food, water and medical care and that some had died of suffocation in overcrowded cells. The detainees were incarcerated in the facilities following the territorial defeat of IS in Syria in 2019 and Amnesty International states that the vast majority are being indefinitely detained without charge or trial. In their response to the report, the Autonomous Authorities of the North East Syria Region criticised the countries whose nationals were detained in the facilities for failing to repatriate them.  While the detention facilities are run by the autonomous authorities, they were built and refurbished by a US-led coalition of 29 states.

Sources: Amnesty International, Associated Press News  

Since early August, Syria has been experiencing rare anti-government demonstrations, fuelled by economic hardship, the collapse of the Syrian currency, and widespread corruption. Protesters are demanding that the government address these issues, which have exacerbated the already dire living conditions in the country. While the majority of the protests have remained peaceful, there have been occasional instances of violence. Syria’s government has responded with a mix of concessions and crackdowns, but this strategy has failed to quell public discontent.

The protests originated in Syria’s southern regions and gradually expanded to major cities like Damascus and Aleppo, primarily taking place in areas under government control. They have been ongoing for four weeks, calling for regime change and the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The New Arab, Al Monitor, The New York Times