Al-Raqqa province | Organizations and activists demand suspension of “migrant card” to discriminate against immigrants and displaced

Al-Raqqa Province: Al-Raqqa is the first destination for displaced people and the most densely populated region among areas under control of the “Autonomous Administration” in northeastern Syria. Al-Raqqah hosts 53 camps sheltering many displaced from the regime-held areas and other areas controlled by Turkish-backed factions.

When most of living services were provided in the region, several shelters in addition to the makeshifts camps were established.

Civil and popular councils granted same migrant cards for all the displaced and the forcible deported people as a substitute for their ID cards.

The migrant cards help the displaced and deported people to receive financial and food aids provided by the organisations operating in Al-Raqqa.

On the other hand, several organisations, activists, and human rights activists in Al-Raqqa launched “Stop the migrant card” and “Al-Raqqa is a house of Syrians” initiative as a step avoid discrimination between the displaced and the indigenous inhabitants.

The initiative participants relied on article (13) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stating that:

“Everyone has the right of freedom of movement and to choose his place to reside within the state borders.”

Freedom of movement and travel are human rights that are respected by the constitutions in many countries, which stipulate that the citizens have the freedom to travel, reside and work in any place that desire in any country as long as he or she do not breach the freedoms and rights of the others.