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DAMASCUS, SYRIA (NOV. 20, 2025) (ANADOLU – ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF SYRIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON NOUREDDINE AL-BABA SPEAKING AT PRESS CONFERENCE DAMASCUS, SYRIA - NOV. 20: Syria’s Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba said on Thursday, November 20, that authorities have reviewed around 8.3 million travel ban records issued during the previous regime and lifted about 5 million of them.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Information Ministry in Damascus, al-Baba said the records were examined under 14 main categories and 129 subcategories, with work still ongoing on the remaining files.

He noted that the ongoing reviews include about 1.15 million state employees whose cases are under examination, individuals linked to security and military institutions suspected of offenses against civilians, people with judicial or police records listed by the Justice Ministry, and those restricted from travel due to financial obligations to the Finance Ministry.

Al-Baba highlighted that hundreds of thousands of erroneous or randomly added records from the former administration have complicated the process, noting that some entries were test or arbitrary data that caused difficulties for citizens.

He added that around 50,000 people were recorded as having “unknown nationality” due to incomplete data.

Al-Baba said the ministry expects to complete the review within six months, adding that the process aims to secure citizens’ rights and facilitate their daily lives.