Syria

In Syria ethnic minority groups, such as the Dom, Alawite and Druze, face discrimination that prevents them from proving their identity and obtaining nationality. The Dom would often cross borders between Syria and neighbouring countries, further complicating questions of belonging which underpin determinations of citizenship. Many of today’s administrative practices separating out ethnic minorities from the rest of the Syrian people are a legacy of French colonial rule. France deployed a ‘divide-and-rule’ tactic in its colonies to promote religious and ethnic division to maintain its own administrative influence. Postcolonial administrative practices often perpetuate this fragmentation. This increases the chances that children born to ethnic minorities in Syria remain unregistered and stateless.