The number of personal IDs issued by the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) operating in Idlib, northern Syria, has reached about 700,000 IDs after 21 months of starting their issuance.

According to statistics obtained by Enab Baladi from the Salvation Government, the number of issued IDs reached 692,667 as of June 13.

The IDs are issued from ten centers distributed across five regions: Sarmada, Idlib, Jisr al-Shughour, Harem, and al-Dana. Each center has two sections, one for men and another for women.

The cost of issuing a personal ID is $2.5 (equivalent to 82 Turkish liras), and it is currently limited to civilians.

The Salvation Government started issuing personal IDs in mid-September 2022. At that time, the Minister of Interior, Mohammad Abdurahman, said that coordination and study of the matter with military institutions in the region would take place regarding the military personnel.

The Salvation Government considered this step as an organizational measure to facilitate the affairs of the residents in governmental departments, referring to it as the “largest project” in the region.

The visual identity of the personal ID card includes features of seven Syrian provinces, with the word “Syria” and its map on top, and decorations from the rich Levantine heritage. It is unbreakable, supports the English language, and includes “al-Khana,” which is the original residence of the person.

The card does not have any international recognition as it is a form of local identification to facilitate transactions in official departments.

According to individuals interviewed by Enab Baladi, they attributed obtaining the personal ID card to several reasons, including not having documents that bear their information and to facilitate the processing of transactions they encounter.

The Salvation Government’s ID card will become mandatory in advanced stages, and with a large proportion of people obtaining it, the personal ID issued by the regime government will no longer be used, according to the Minister of Interior of the Salvation Government. 

The Salvation Government, consisting of 11 ministries, controls the aspects of life in Idlib province, northern Hama countryside, and part of the western Aleppo countryside, both in terms of services and administration.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) controls the region indirectly in economic and service terms, accompanied by accusations that the HTS is behind many projects described as “monopolistic.”

The Salvation Government is currently chaired by Mohammad al-Bashir, in its seventh term, who took office in last January. He previously held the position of Minister of Development and Humanitarian Affairs in the Salvation Government between 2022 and 2023. He was born in 1983, in Jabal al-Zawiya, southern Idlib province.