Visit The Syria Report Subscribe to our mailing list
EN ع
  • Twitter
Syria Report
  • All articles
  • News
  • Analysis & Features
  • Reports & Papers
  • Regulations
  • Directory
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Home1 / HLP2 / News3 / A Return to the Yarmouk Camp, Under Certain Conditions4
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

A Return to the Yarmouk Camp, Under Certain Conditions

18-11-2020/in HLP, News /by admin

The Damascus Governorate Council has begun receiving requests for returns to the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp south of the capital after the governor made a visit to the camp last week to take stock of conditions on the ground. He observed ongoing rehabilitation work of the electricity and water stations and announced there was a need to expedite preparations of the camp’s infrastructure, as well as removing rubble.

Yarmouk reflects the regime’s latest policy of allowing internally displaced people to return to their damaged homes in Damascus. Permission to return to Yarmouk comes after similar return operations in the Barzeh, Qaboun and Jobar neighbourhoods of eastern Damascus in recent weeks. It is not clear why the government is now allowing these return processes after so many years preventing people from returning and putting various obstacles in their way, including expropriations, destruction of buildings and new zoning plans. In any case, though, conditions for return set by the government ensure that only a few former residents will be able to return.

The Damascus Governorate Council entrusted a committee to follow up on its decision to hold off on announcing the new zoning plans for Yarmouk. That committee decided to allow residents of the camp to return under three conditions: that the buildings are structurally safe, and that returnees provide proof of title deeds and that they obtain the necessary security approvals.

According to the official Tishreen newspaper, the requests for return have no particular deadline. The newspaper added that, in addition to the three conditions set out by the committee, property holders hoping to return to Yarmouk must present a family civil registration extract, as well as a water and electricity clearance.

The pro-opposition news site Sowt Al-Asimeh reported that Damascus Governorate had imposed a new process for return: submit an application at an office in the camp, provide ownership documents and pay SYP 8,000 before transferring the file for a security check. In addition, those hoping to return must submit an application to the municipal council so that they can send a technical inspection team to the building and assess the damage.

The Damascus Governorate decided in August to hold off on releasing the new zoning plans for the Yarmouk camp due to objections the plans faced from camp residents and Palestinian political figures both inside Syria and abroad. Last September, 28 civil society, political and legal Palestinian organisations sent a legal memorandum to the UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, warning of the dangers of the new zoning plans for Yarmouk. According to the memorandum, the new plans would strip camp residents of their property rights and change the camp’s identity.

Meanwhile, the three conditions set for residents who wish to return are considered very difficult, as it is easy to tamper with the structural safety reports and reports on the scale of damage, which is happening in Aleppo. Proof of ownership is not easy to obtain for Palestinians from Yarmouk, many of whom only hold “residence permits” issued by the Syrian government’s General Authority for Palestine Arab Refugees (GAPAR). In addition, the state itself owns the land on which the camp was built. The third condition, which requires a security background check, is seen as the most difficult, as it makes return possible only for regime loyalists.

Post Views: 5
Tags: english
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://hlp.syria-report.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Logo-300x81.png 0 0 admin https://hlp.syria-report.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Logo-300x81.png admin2020-11-18 23:55:002021-07-14 15:37:58A Return to the Yarmouk Camp, Under Certain Conditions

Read also

  • Lattakia Residents Face Uncertainty After Earthquake
  • Explained: Construction Permits on Common-Ownership Lands
  • Fraud, Exploitation, and the Death of a Retired Teacher
  • AANES Road Expansions Threatens Resident HLP Rights
HelpAbout usContact usAdvertise with The Syria ReportTerms & conditions
Copyright © 2022 The Syria Report – all rights reserved. Your use of this website is subject to our legal terms & conditions
What Is the Need for a Second Industrial Zone in Jableh? مفتاح: ما مصير أملاك المتهمين بالإرهاب في...
Scroll to top

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

Ok

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Privacy Policy

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.