Six Border Crossings Open Jan 1 for Syrians in Türkiye with Permits

(TÜRKIYE) — The Syrian General Authority for Crossings and Customs announced on December 31, 2025 that Syrian nationals living in Türkiye with valid residence or work permits will be allowed to enter and exit Syria through January 1, 2026 via six designated land border crossings.

The move expands what the authority called new “approved procedures” and opens a route for legal residents and workers in Türkiye to travel across the border under a system that previously limited eligibility.

Designated crossings and eligibility

The six designated crossings named by the authority are:

• Kasab
• Bab al-Hawa
• Al-Hamam
• Al-Salama
• Al-Rai
• Jarablus

Under the eligibility expansion:

• Who is eligible: Syrian nationals who are legal residents or workers in Türkiye with valid residence or work permits.
• What changed: The change covers legal residents and workers rather than only Syrians with third-country citizenship.
• Intended purposes: The authority said the changes are intended to facilitate family visits and “temporary returns” as part of a normalization process following the 2024 transition in Syria.

Previously, Türkiye permitted passport-based crossings only for Turkish citizens or Syrians holding a third nationality; the Jan. 1 policy explicitly added those with residence or work permits.

Context: movement and population figures

• Türkiye hosts 2.7 million Syrians.
• Since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, over 1.15 million Syrians have voluntarily returned from Türkiye.

Opening the six land crossings offers a formal channel for some to travel for family visits without jeopardizing their legal standing in Türkiye.

U.S. measures affecting Syrians: proclamation, TPS, USCIS memo, consular vetting

Several U.S. policy actions are tightening travel and immigration channels for Syrians.

Presidential Proclamation 10998

• Issued by: President Trump on December 16, 2025.
• Takes effect: 12:01 a.m. EST on January 1, 2026.
• Core text: “The entry into the United States of nationals of Syria as immigrants and nonimmigrants is hereby fully suspended. The United States must exercise extreme vigilance. to identify foreign nationals who intend to harm Americans or our national interests.”
• Scope: Applies to both immigrants and nonimmigrants from Syria and frames the policy in security terms.
• Presidential Proclamation 10998: Presidential Proclamation 10998

Termination and stay of Syria’s TPS

• Decision announced by: Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
• Termination date (planned): November 21, 2025.
• USCIS Newsroom quote (Nov 6, 2025): “Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem determined that Syria no longer meets the conditions for its designation for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). therefore she terminated the designation.”
• Current status (as of Dec 31, 2025): The termination is stayed by a court order in Dahlia Doe v. Noem (S.D.N.Y., Nov 19, 2025), preserving beneficiaries’ TPS while litigation proceeds.
• Temporary Protected Status (TPS) information: Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

The court stay keeps Syria’s TPS designation in place for now, maintaining beneficiaries’ status despite the Secretary’s termination decision.

USCIS policy memorandum PM-602-0192

• Issued: December 2, 2025.
• Effect: Calls for additional steps on applications involving countries labeled “high-risk,” specifically citing Syria.
• Key instructions:

1. Place a hold on pending benefit requests for nationals from countries listed in Presidential Proclamation 10949.
2. Conduct comprehensive re-review of approved benefit requests for nationals from listed countries (including Syria) who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021.

– Practical effect: Slows adjudication by placing holds on pending cases and prompts re-review of some approvals.
– USCIS policy memorandum PM-602-0192: USCIS policy memorandum PM-602-0192

Consular vetting requirement in Türkiye

• Date: U.S. Embassy in Türkiye stated on Dec 31, 2025.
• Requirement: Syrian visa applicants must set all social media accounts to “public” to facilitate vetting.
• Implication: Consular and immigration systems are emphasizing visibility into applicants’ online activity as part of screening.
• U.S. Embassy Ankara social media guidance: Consular vetting requirement in Türkiye

Comparison: regional opening vs. U.S. restrictions

The two policy directions create a clear divergence:

• Syrian border authority: Expands regional mobility — allows more Syrians in Türkiye (with residence/work permits) to travel to and from Syria via six land crossings starting January 1, 2026.
• United States: Tightens access — Proclamation 10998 suspends entry for Syrians starting 12:01 a.m. EST on January 1, 2026, USCIS imposes holds and re-reviews, and consular vetting is intensified.

The combined effect is a widening gap between easier regional travel and sharply restricted routes to the United States for Syrians based in Türkiye.

Practical implications for Syrians in Türkiye

• Many Syrians have relied on consular processing in Ankara and Istanbul to pursue U.S. visas; the new U.S. measures add extra hurdles to those pathways.
• The Syrian crossings authority’s announcement did not specify additional limits beyond:
• Being a Syrian national residing in Türkiye with a valid residence or work permit, and
• Using one of the six designated crossings.
• The crossings span routes long used for commercial and civilian movement, formalizing entry and exit through specified land channels rather than ad hoc travel.

Timeline summary

Key takeaways

• The Syrian crossings authority’s change increases mobility for Syrians in Türkiye who hold valid residence or work permits, enabling travel through six specified land crossings from January 1, 2026.
• The United States is simultaneously imposing a full suspension of entry for Syrian nationals under Proclamation 10998, effective 12:01 a.m. EST on January 1, 2026, while also tightening adjudication and vetting through USCIS policy and consular requirements.
• Legal and practical consequences include procedural delays, enhanced vetting, and a divergence between regional return/visit opportunities and restricted access to the United States.