Parliament to consider repealing law restricting sales and investment in border areas of Syria

According to KurdPress, the Syrian Parliament, in its first regular session, put on the agenda the review of Law No. 41 on restricting sales and investment in real estate in border areas; a law that has deprived tens of thousands of people of their property rights, especially in Hasakah province and the Afrin region, and has created widespread problems for residents of Kurdish-populated areas.Law No. 41 was passed in 2004 with the aim of regulating land and property located along the Syrian border. The law was amended in two decrees in 2008 and 2011, but the restrictions it imposed remained in place in many Syrian provinces, creating widespread legal and economic problems for property owners.

Under the law, the sale of land and buildings, as well as investment in property located in border areas, was prohibited or made conditional on obtaining security permits. The Syrian government at the time cited the need to “protect national security.” However, obtaining security permits to sell property became a difficult and almost impossible process, and many property owners were unable to conduct their transactions legally.

The Kurdish-majority regions were among the areas most affected by the law’s implementation.According to the published report, the entire province of Hasakah, with an area of ​​about 23,000 square kilometers, as well as 366 villages in the Afrin region, were among the areas affected by these restrictions. As a result of the implementation of this law, a large number of residents of these areas faced problems related to official registration of ownership, selling properties and investing in their land.

Kurdish representatives called for the repeal of Law No. 41

Kim Ibrahim, a Kurdish representative of the Syrian Parliament, referring to the problems caused by this law, stated that many residents of the areas subject to restrictions, despite owning land and properties, have still not been able to receive official ownership documents in their names.

He said: “We are all owners of land and properties, but our properties are still registered in the names of our grandfathers and grandfathers. There are no official ownership documents and ownership documents are only obtained through intermediaries.If this law is repealed, people will be free.”

These statements show that legal restrictions and administrative difficulties, in addition to preventing the free purchase and sale of real estate, have also made the process of establishing formal ownership difficult for a number of residents of border areas.

Muhammad Saidu, another Kurdish member of the Syrian parliament, also emphasized the need to repeal this law, pointing to the difficulty of obtaining the necessary permits for real estate transactions, and said that due to the connection of this issue with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior, the required permits were not issued for border areas.

He also called for the repeal of Law No. 41, noting the existence of special regulations and measures for Kurdish-populated areas, and expressed his support for this measure.The bill was referred to a parliamentary committee for further consideration

Following the meeting, at the request of 22 members of the Syrian parliament, the bill of law No. 41 was re-introduced to the agenda with the aim of examining the possibility of repealing or amending it. The bill was examined in parliament for two days and then referred to the Investment and Defense Committee for further consideration.

According to the published report, the general sessions of the Syrian parliament have been postponed until November 8, 2026. It is expected that after the resumption of sessions, a proposal to repeal or amend law No. 41 will be put to a vote in parliament.If this law is repealed or amended, the restrictions on buying, selling, and investing in property in border areas could enter a new phase of review; an issue of significant importance to residents of Hasakah province and the Afrin region, especially those who face difficulties in officially registering their land and property ownership.