COUNTRY REPORT May 2020 COUNTRY OF ORIGIN REPORT (COI) Syria Military Service Report based on a fact-finding mission to Istanbul and Beirut (17-25 February 2020) © 2020 The Danish Immigration Service The Danish Immigration Service Ryesgade 53 2100 Copenhagen Denmark Phone: +45 35 36 66 00 newtodenmark.dk May 2020 All rights reserved to the Danish Immigration Service. The publication can be downloaded for free at newtodenmark.dk The Danish Immigration Service’s publications can be quoted with clear source reference. Front page map: Syrian Arab Republic, map No. 4204, Rev. 3 April 2012, https://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/syria.pdf SYRIA - MILITARY SERVICE Contents Disclaimer .............................................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction and methodology ............................................................................................................... 4 Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Terminology........................................................................................................................................... 7 Executive summary ................................................................................................................................ 8 1. Current pattern of recruitment of conscripts and reservists to the SAA ................................................ 9 1.1. Current demand and recruitment to the SAA ........................................................................................ 9 1.1.1. Military service in the SAA in Northeast Syria ............................................................................... 10 1.2. Methods of recruitment of conscripts and reservists to the SAA ........................................................ 11 1.2.1. Recruitment through house raids .................................................................................................. 12 1.2.2. Recruitment from IDP camps ......................................................................................................... 13 1.2.3. Recruitment through reconciliation agreements .......................................................................... 13 1.3. Deployment of conscripts and reservists to the front .......................................................................... 13 1.3.1. Indiscriminate deployment ............................................................................................................ 13 1.3.2. Newly recruited conscripts ............................................................................................................ 14 1.3.3. Deployment of men from reconciled areas to the front ............................................................... 15 1.3.4. Deployment of men from pro-government areas to the front ..................................................... 15 1.4. Final discharge of conscripts/reservists serving in the SAA .................................................................. 16 2. Implementation of the Military Service Law ...................................................................................... 18 2.1. Prevalence of recruitment of males under 18 and over 42 .................................................................. 18 2.1.1. Recruitment of males under 18 ..................................................................................................... 18 2.2. Prevalence of conscription of only sons ............................................................................................... 20 2.3. Exemption due to medical conditions .................................................................................................. 21 2.4. The exemption fee ................................................................................................................................ 22 2.4.1. The exemption fee rules ................................................................................................................ 22 2.4.2. The procedure and required documents ....................................................................................... 23 2.4.3. Implementation of the exemption fee procedure by the Syrian authorities ................................ 25 2.4.4. Extent of use of the exemption fee option .................................................................................... 27 2.4.5. Respect of the exemption fee rules by the Syrian authorities ...................................................... 28 2.5. Possibility of visiting Syria for Syrian expatriates of military service age ............................................. 29 1 SYRIA - MILITARY SERVICE 2.5.1. Description of the procedure ......................................................................................................... 29 2.5.2. Implementation of approval to visit Syria ..................................................................................... 30 3. Possible consequences of draft evasion and desertion....................................................................... 31 3.1. Possible consequences of draft evasion ............................................................................................... 31 3.1.1. Amendment of Military Service Law regarding evaders over the age of 42 ................................. 32 3.2. Possible consequences of desertion and defection ............................................................................. 33 3.2.1. Prevalence of execution of deserters and defectors ..................................................................... 34 3.3 Implementation of amnesties regarding draft evaders and deserters ................................................. 35 3.3.1. Amnesty issued on 22 March 2020 ................................................................................................ 36 3.4. Possible consequences for family members of evaders/deserters ...................................................... 36 3.4.1. Possible consequences for family members of draft evaders ....................................................... 36 3.4.2 Possible consequences for family members of deserters and defectors ....................................... 37 Consulted sources ................................................................................................................................ 39 Oral sources ................................................................................................................................................. 39 Written sources ........................................................................................................................................... 40 Appendix 1: Meeting minutes ............................................................................................................... 46 Appendix 2: Terms of Reference ........................................................................................................... 93 2 SYRIA - MILITARY SERVICE Disclaimer This report was written according to the EASO COI Report Methodology.1 The report is based on approved minutes from meetings with carefully selected sources. Statements from sources are used in the report and all statements are referenced. This report is not, and does not purport to be a detailed or comprehensive survey of all aspects of the issues addressed in the report and should be weighed against other available country of origin information on military service in Syria. The report at hand does not include any policy recommendations or analysis. The information in the report does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Danish Immigration Service. Furthermore, this report is not conclusive as to the determination or merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Terminology used should not be regarded as indicative of a particular legal position. 1 EASO, EASO Country of Origin Information (COI) Report Methodology, June 2019, url 3 SYRIA - MILITARY SERVICE Introduction and methodology The report at hand focuses on military service in the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) after the summer of 2018 when the SAA, with assistance from foreign allied forces and pro-government militia groups, regained control of most rebel-held areas in Syria.2 The report specifically looks into: the current pattern of recruitment of conscripts and reservists to the SAA, including the demand for conscripts and reservists in the SAA, the methods of recruitment, deployment of conscripts and reservists to the front and final discharge; the implementation of the Syrian Military Service Law, including prevalence of recruitment of men under the age of 18 and over 42, and the implementation of rules regarding exemption from military service (only sons, medical condition and exemption by paying a fee); possible consequences of draft evasion and desertion, including the implementation of amnesties for draft evaders and deserters, as well as consequences for families of draft evaders and deserters. The report is the product of a fact-finding mission conducted by the Country of Origin Information Office, Danish Immigration Service (DIS), to Istanbul, Turkey, and Beirut, Lebanon, from 17 to 25 February 2020. The purpose of the mission was to collect updated information on recurring issues in cases concerning Syrian asylum seekers in Denmark. The terms of reference