Author | Lightnews

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 8h

A class action lawsuit filed by @irap.bsky.social, Muslim Advocates and a private law firm on October 21 challenges the move to cancel Syria’s TPS designation, arguing the short notice and use of “racist invective” by administration figures to justify such decisions violates federal law.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 8h

While many Syrians hope to eventually return home following the fall of the Assad regime last year, most do not have immediate plans to do so. Cities and towns remain in rubble, key services like water and electricity are unreliable and insecurity persists.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 8h

“TPS is not political, It is supposed to be looked at from a humanitarian perspective,” immigration attorney Nadeen Aljijaki said. “Unfortunately, Syria was swept up in the rhetoric.”

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 8h

The statement reflects the hardline stance on immigration core to the Trump administration, which has also moved to cancel TPS for countries such as Venezuela and Afghanistan while conducting a nationwide mass deportation campaign.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 8h

On September 19, US Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) announced it would terminate TPS for Syrians. It called Syria both a "hotbed of terrorism" and safe for return, adding "it is contrary to our national interest to allow Syrians to remain in our country."

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Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 8h

Around 6,000 Syrians in the US hold Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which allows nationals of war-torn or disaster-impacted countries to remain in the country. Syrians have been eligible for the program since 2012.

In post-regime Daraa, insecurity overshadows the state

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 8h

🧵 The Trump administration’s abrupt termination of Syrians’ Temporary Protected Status has left thousands scrambling for solutions before a November 21 deadline to self-deport or become undocumented.

🔗 bit.ly/4ogHqCE

People watch as the sun sets behind the Statue of Liberty—historically a symbol of immigration to the United States—in New York, 3/7/2025. Rays of light peek through the cloudy sky, which is a deep orange color that is also reflected on the surface of the water between two figures in silhouette and the statue in the distance, also in silhouette.

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Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 4d

Read the full report, by @walid-alnofal.bsky.social:

Nearly 11 months since the fall of the regime, simmering insecurity and uncontrolled weapons continue to destabilize communities and claim lives in Syria’s southern Daraa province.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 4d

Still, the level of insecurity varies across Daraa. In cities like Tafas, daily life is regularly disrupted, leaving the economy struggling. In Inkhil, the level of violence has plummeted since the regime fell, ushering in economic improvement.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 4d

Many remain wary of giving up their guns, seeing them as a form of security. The chaos that southern Syria has experienced for years “pushes people to hold on to weapons and refuse to hand them over,” one journalist in eastern Daraa said.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 4d

Daraa has not seen wide-scale disarmament campaigns by state security forces, who have taken a more targeted approach. Enforcement of bans on open carrying and celebratory gunfire has at times been selective, residents say, with families linked to HTS seemingly exempt.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 4d

The displacement of Bedouins from neighboring Suwayda to Daraa in July has also played a role, as people on different sides of feuds found themselves dislocated in the same place.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 4d

Some of the violence is tied to clan disputes and longstanding blood feuds. While such killings are not new, one notable incident in June saw the direct involvement of members of the new government’s security forces, adding a new layer of danger and complexity.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 4d

In October alone, Syria Direct tracked the deaths of 15 people, most of them civilians, in attacks by unidentified gunmen, revenge killings and accidental shootings across Daraa.

A screenshot of an interactive map entitled "Victims of Insecurity and Uncontrolled Weapons in Daraa Province (2025)." Multicolored pins indicate the location of incidents including assassinations, revenge killings and armed robbery.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 4d

“The regime fell, but the chaos continues, assassinations continue and weapons are everywhere, while security personnel are unqualified or corrupt,” Abu Muhammad (a pseudonym) said from his home in Tafas, western Daraa.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 4d

Over the past 11 months, a steady drumbeat of assassinations and revenge killings have continued to claim lives in Daraa. Security in the southern province is a patchwork, guns are plentiful and law enforcement is limited.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 4d

🧵 When the regime fell last December, Abu Muhammad’s fight was over. He laid down his gun and went back to farming in Syria’s southern Daraa province. But the former fighter has not found peace of mind: friends are being killed, and he fears he may be next.

In post-regime Daraa, insecurity overshadows the state

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 5d

Nearly 11 months since the fall of the regime, simmering insecurity and uncontrolled weapons continue to destabilize communities and claim lives in Syria’s southern Daraa province.

✍️ @walid-alnofal.bsky.social

Nearly 11 months since the fall of the regime, simmering insecurity and uncontrolled weapons continue to destabilize communities and claim lives in Syria’s southern Daraa province.

With olive harvest underway, obstacles remain for Afrin residents

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 7d

Diminished by drought, the olive harvest is underway in Syria’s Kurdish-majority Afrin. Residents report fewer violations than in years past, but remain wary of the new authorities.

✍️ @natachadanon.bsky.social

syriadirect.org/with-olive-h...

Diminished by drought, the olive harvest is underway in Syria’s Kurdish-majority Afrin. Residents report fewer violations than in years past, but remain wary of the new authorities.

Why is Syria seeking rapprochement with Russia despite its unpopularity?

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 13d

Why is Syria seeking rapprochement with Russia despite its unpopularity?

✍️ @natachadanon.bsky.social

Why is Damascus pursuing a rapprochement with Moscow despite its unpopularity, and how might it strike a balance between Syrian public opinion and strategic interests?

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 13d

However, human rights activists, like Ahmad Helmi say reestablishing relations should have been conditional on “Russian guarantees for reparations for victims and the surrender of stolen assets,” as well as extradition of former regime personnel.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 13d

“Additionally, Damascus views Moscow as a potential counterweight to Israeli military operations, which have intensified since Assad's fall,” says Syrian-Russian researcher and former opposition figure Mahmoud al-Hamza.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 13d

“For Damascus, Russia offers immediate practical benefits that Western partners cannot or will not provide under current conditions…as Western aid remains conditional on political reforms and inclusive governance commitments,” says @ruslantrad.bsky.social of @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social.

Syria Direct @syriadirect.bsky.social · 13d

In exchange, Russia has offered to provide aid for reconstruction. Syria also depends on Russia for oil and wheat exports, as well as military equipment, 80 percent of which came from Russia prior to the war.