Enab Baladi – Christina al-Shammas
Attempts by some citizens residing in Syria to obtain entry visas to certain Arab countries, such as Egypt, Iraq, and the UAE, have not ceased since their suspension at the beginning of 2025.
These attempts have placed many citizens at the mercy of suspicious operations involving fraud and deception by travel agencies operating within Syria, according to cases reported by Enab Baladi.
What’s the story?
About a month ago, numerous posts proliferated on social media, promoted by travel agencies claiming to provide visas for the UAE under the name “special visa.”
Enab Baladi contacted one of these agencies to learn about the visa conditions and acceptance rates. An employee at the agency stated that it does not require complex conditions, such as having a first-degree relative.
The employee added that the visa allows entry for one month, after which the person can apply for residency in the UAE.
The agency requires a personal photo and a passport valid for six months in return for an amount that reaches $5,000, along with a guarantee of $1,000 to ensure the applicant does not exceed the permitted duration of stay in the UAE.
Sara Lotfi, a resident of Damascus and working in a beauty center, told Enab Baladi that she applied for a special visa, hoping to receive an acceptance response, but the rejection came 15 days after her application.
“I paid half of the fee, which was about $2,500, intending to complete the payment after receiving the visa. When I contacted the agency to get a refund of the full amount, $300 was deducted as a commission for the agency,” Lotfi said.
Sameh Razouk, a mechanical design engineering student in Damascus, also fell victim to a similar “fraud,” as he described. After he paid two million Syrian pounds (about $200) to initiate his special visa process, he lost contact with the person claiming to have a travel agency.
Razouk could not reach the person due to their presence in another province. “A scam in plain sight, exploiting Syrians’ need to obtain visas,” Razouk said.
Practices that may lead to imprisonment
Basil Ma’alla, a resident of the UAE working at the Rehlaty for Travel and Tourism agency, said to Enab Baladi that some travel agencies resorted to dubious and illegal methods to issue visas, such as forging family data or marriage contracts to prove that the applicant has a first-degree sponsor in the UAE.
The special visa is one of the tricks some agencies used to earn massive profits, even though the UAE has not issued any decision regarding the return of tourism visas or the availability of what is called a “special visa,” according to Ma’alla.
Ma’alla warned that such practices, such as the forgery of legal documents, could expose the individual and the intermediary agency to imprisonment in the UAE, deportation, and a ban on re-entry.
Legal response
Lawyer Fadi al-Rahal told Enab Baladi that there are numerous cases of citizens who have been victims of fraud in various ways.
Before the fall of the regime, a travel agency in Damascus defrauded a large number of citizens out of huge amounts reaching over 100 million Syrian pounds, while citizens hoped to obtain travel visas to either Arab or European countries.
When the agency was approached to refund the amounts, the response was, “Go to the police station and do as you wish,” according to al-Rahal, turning the cases of these citizens into court matters.
Al-Rahal explained that the file of this case remains unresolved to this day due to the owner of the agency fleeing abroad after the regime’s fall, but the judiciary took measures against the person, known as issuing absentee judgments against him.
The lawyer warned against document and data forgery, as it is criminalized by law.
If there is a contract between the visa applicant and the executing party that includes a clause about not refunding the amount in case of visa rejection, the person cannot take any action due to the existence of a contract that stipulates their agreement to lose the amount.
However, if there is no clause stating their agreement and the executing party violates what was stipulated in the agreement, the affected individual can file a complaint against the party with the head of the public prosecution to take legal actions against them.
Al-Rahal emphasized the importance of having an official contract that includes all terms and penalty clauses agreed upon between the applicant and the executing party, stating that the individual should not pay any amount to the latter without receiving a financial receipt proving their payment to the benefit of the executing party.
He advised against dealing with any unknown entities or those lacking official documents that prove their legal operations, in addition to ensuring that individuals seek legal advice when dealing with any party to safeguard their rights.
What visas are available?
The authorities in the Kurdistan region of Iraq have suspended the entry of Syrians into Erbil, whether single or families, since April 2024, until further notice without clarification of the reasons.
Similarly, Egypt has also issued a directive suspending the entry of Syrians holding European residence permits and Schengen visas into the country without obtaining security clearance, exempting Syrians holding temporary residencies unrelated to tourism.
The UAE still grants visas only based on the sponsorship of first-degree relatives.
According to conditions clarified by the UAE authorities, a resident, whether an employee or investor with a valid residency, can sponsor their family members, including their spouse and children.
The resident head of the family must meet certain conditions, the most notable being a minimum monthly salary of 4,000 dirhams (about $1,090) or a salary of 3,000 dirhams (about $815) and accommodation.
Despite this, most applications from individuals based on sponsorship by siblings are rejected without knowledge of the reason.
The Dubai tourist visa for youth, which was granted with ease and speed, was suspended in August 2024 for unknown reasons.
Meanwhile, Iraq officially grants work and monthly and yearly visit visas, but some travel companies have reported that the visas to Iraq have been suspended.
Suspicious operations in exchange for visa issuance for Syrians Enab Baladi.
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