A technical delegation from Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates will begin providing services in Libya on October 18, aiming to enable Syrians there to benefit from fee and fine exemptions, the delegation told the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Friday, October 17.

The team said it will issue and extend laissez-passer documents in Tripoli and Benghazi, and carry out the technical and administrative steps needed to reopen the Syrian embassy in Tripoli. Once operations start, Syrians in Libya will be able to obtain the consular services they need, especially issuing and renewing passports, at the nearest opportunity after the embassy resumes work.

According to the delegation, Syria has “historic relations” with Libya and seeks to restore them “to their natural course” in the interest of both countries. It added that several outstanding files between the two sides require fundamental solutions, expressing confidence that Damascus and Libyan authorities can find “appropriate solutions together.”

The missing persons file is “one of the most complex,” the team said, calling it a “deep wound” for families, and affirming that the Syrian government will make every effort to clarify their fate in cooperation with Libyan authorities.

The ministry is also working with international organizations to facilitate voluntary returns for humanitarian cases among the Syrian community in Libya, with a joint program to be implemented soon.

The delegation stressed that no Syrian state forces are operating outside the country’s borders, adding that Libya’s stability and development are matters for Libyans to decide.

Syrians are missing or detained in Libya in connection with Europe-bound migration or earlier participation in local armed conflicts alongside parties to Libya’s internal fighting.

8,000 prior transactions

During an August visit, the same technical team completed about 8,000 transactions for Syrians in Libya, including passport extensions, laissez-passer documents for return to Syria, and certification of official papers.

At the time, the delegation said its visit aimed to regularize the status of the Syrian community, reopen the Syrian embassy in Tripoli first and then a consulate in Benghazi, and secure a temporary mission premises until Syria regains its main embassy building. It also worked to reactivate air travel between Damascus and Tripoli in the first phase, expressing hope that the first Tripoli–Damascus flight would operate soon.

The team proposed measures to strengthen Syrian-Libyan ties, such as mutual visa exemptions, inviting Libyan investors to Damascus, creating a joint working mechanism, and reactivating 43 prior bilateral agreements. The Libyan embassy in Damascus, for its part, informed the Syrian delegation that Libya would soon reactivate its visa system.

The number of Syrians in Libya is estimated at 30,000–50,000, most arriving after the 2011 Syrian uprising, according to unofficial figures from local relief groups.

152 Syrians return from Libya

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) facilitated the voluntary return of 152 Syrians from Libya to Damascus on Wednesday, October 8, in the first IOM-supported humanitarian voluntary return flight to Syria since the start of 2025.

Osman Belbeisi, IOM’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said the organization is expanding its operations and services in Syria with the core goal of supporting the country’s recovery after years of conflict and ensuring dignified, sustainable returns for Syrians—whether internally displaced or coming back from abroad.

Before the flight, IOM provided pre-departure assistance in Tripoli, and, upon arrival in Damascus, returnees received reception support and transportation to their final destinations, especially in Aleppo, Hama, and Homs. In the coming months, IOM will provide individualized “reintegration” assistance to help these families rebuild their lives.