Syrian foreign ministry delegation starts the process of opening a consulate in Erbil. Getty imagesInfoMove aimed at providing services for Syrians in Iraqi KurdistanThe NationalJuly 22, 2026
Syria's Foreign Ministry has visited Erbil to advance the opening of a consulate, marking the first formal diplomatic step in the Kurdistan region.
Iraq hosts more than 346,000 refugees and asylum seekers, with 88 per cent being Syrian and 82 per cent residing in the Kurdistan region.
Following the fall of Bashar Al Assad's government in December 2024, the global Syrian refugee population dropped from six million to 4.9 million within a year.
A January agreement between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces outlined the integration of the SDF into the Syrian state, though it remains incomplete.
