"The Syrian Network for Human Rights demands the new Syrian government to reduce the prices of passports."

The "Syrian Network for Human Rights" has called on the new Syrian government to reform the passport issuance system, considering the current prices exorbitant and not commensurate with the deteriorating economic situation in Syria.

These demands come as part of a campaign to alleviate the financial burden on citizens, especially with the worsening living crises and rising poverty rates.

The network emphasized that the high costs of passport issuance constitute a violation of the right to freedom of movement, which is one of the most basic human rights, stressing that the fall of the Assad regime should translate into real reforms to end the suffering of Syrians.

The cost of issuing a regular passport for residents outside Syria is $300, while the price rises to $800 for urgent issuance. Inside the country, the cost of immediate passport issuance reaches 2.1 million Syrian pounds (around $200), while the urgent passport price is 432,700 pounds.

The comparison between passport prices and average salaries highlights the magnitude of the tragedy. While a citizen needs almost 2 million pounds to obtain an immediate passport, we find that the salaries of government university employees do not exceed 580,000 pounds, while the salary of civil sector employees reaches 2.16 million pounds.

With the absolute poverty line reaching 2.54 million pounds, and the upper poverty line reaching 5.5 million pounds, obtaining a passport becomes an unattainable dream for many Syrian families.

The suffering increases with the rising cost of living, as a family of five needs at least 9.1 million pounds monthly to cover its basic needs.

International standards indicate that passport fees should not exceed $20, while the Syrian passport is among the most expensive globally, ranking second in terms of cost. However, it is classified as one of the worst globally in terms of freedom of movement, as it only allows entry to 28 countries without a visa.

The network has urged the new government to reduce passport fees to reasonable levels, extend its validity to 10 years for adults and 5 years for children, exempt the most vulnerable groups from fees, and eliminate brokers by establishing an official electronic platform to facilitate passport issuance procedures.