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TPS Termination for Syrians: A Call for a Six-Month Extension Amid Ongoing Instability

TPS Termination for Syrians: A Call for a Six-Month Extension Amid Ongoing Instability

On September 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Syrian nationals, effective September 30, 2025. Syrian TPS holders will have until November 21, 2025, to voluntarily depart or seek alternative immigration pathways to remain in the U.S. This decision impacts over 6,000 Syrians who have resided in the United States under TPS, many for over a decade. The abruptness of this policy shift raises concerns, particularly given the conditions in Syria, which remain unsafe for returnees. 

Security Risks for Returnees  

Despite the fall of the Assad regime, Syria continues to face severe humanitarian, economic, and security challenges that make safe return impossible. The U.S. Department of State maintains a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for Syria, citing risks of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict, and explicitly states that no part of Syria is safe from violence and that the risks of returning remain severe. 

The State Department has also advised American citizens in Syria to depart, if possible, in public communications as recent as July 2025. It reiterated that U.S. embassy operations remain suspended and warning that the U.S. government cannot provide consular services or emergency assistance in Syria due to the prevailing insecurity.  

Recently, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, presented to the Human Rights Council in August 2025, a detailed examination of grave violations against civilians following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024. The report documents a series of highly coordinated attacks beginning in early March 2025, precipitated by an operation of the interim authorities which targeted remnants of the former government forces. This triggered a violent backlash resulting in widespread massacres, with approximately 1,400 deaths primarily among civilians, including women and children. These acts included killings, forced displacement, destruction of property, and looting, contributing to pervasive instability and a tangible climate of fear across numerous communities.  

Despite efforts by the new interim government to regain control by mid-March, retaliation and sporadic violent incidents continued. These violations encompassed serious crimes such as murder, arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence, abductions, and attacks on medical facilities. These actions likely constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Sectarian tensions remain a dominant force in shaping the security landscape. Targeted violence against minority groups is a recurrent theme. Arbitrary detention is also still pervasive.  Importantly, while no uniform plan or government directive to perpetrate these crimes was identified, the pattern and scale of abuses point toward a profound failure in establishing effective control and accountability within transitioning security forces.  

The European Union (EU) has also expressed concerns about the safety of returning to Syria. The Council of the EU, aligning with UNHCR assessments, has concluded that “conditions in Syria currently do not allow for large-scale voluntary repatriations, given the humanitarian, economic and security situation.” Extensive infrastructural destruction, including housing, schools, hospitals, and public utilities, combined with ongoing violations of housing, land, and property rights, underscores the risks faced by returnees. 

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has also documented persistent barriers to sustainable return. These include worsening economic conditions, widespread unemployment, limited access to basic services, and extensive damage to essential infrastructure. 

Current conditions in Syria do not meet the minimum standards for voluntary return as established by international frameworks. The UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement emphasize that returnees must be able to return in safety and dignity, with access to essential services, protection from violence, and restoration of housing, land, and property rights. Similarly, UNHCR guidelines on voluntary repatriation require that refugees return freely and without coercion, with legal protection and adequate material support to allow for sustainable reintegration. Syria’s ongoing insecurity, infrastructure destruction, and limited access to basic services make it impossible to meet these essential criteria. 

Humanitarian Conditions in Syria Remain Unsuitable for Return 

The termination of TPS for Syrians has far-reaching and disruptive consequences for families living in the United States. Many Syrian TPS holders have children who are U.S. citizens and have spent their formative years entirely within American schools. These children are often most comfortable in English, with only limited, if any, fluency in Arabic. Forced relocation would abruptly interrupt their education, making reintegration into the Syrian school system extremely difficult due to both language barriers and the profound differences between the U.S. and Syrian curricula. Syrian schools have been severely damaged by years of war, and underfunding means many institutions cannot provide basic resources or support. Such a move threatens long-term educational outcomes and can cause serious psychological distress for children who identify culturally and socially as Americans. Parents face difficult decisions on whether to split up their families to keep American-born children in a safer or more familiar environment, remove children from classrooms mid-year and disrupt their education, or risk deportation as a united family.  

Beyond educational hurdles, TPS families stand to lose stable employment and housing, often without a realistic way to transition those life essentials in just sixty days. Syria's economic infrastructure is in crisis: unemployment is extremely high, most jobs are informal or precarious, and widespread poverty and inflation have left basic needs unaffordable. Humanitarian aid cannot make up for the collapse of public sector support or the absence of meaningful work opportunities for returnees. Many Syrians in the U.S. have deep ties to their communities, have held jobs for years, and may be the financial backbone supporting both U.S. and overseas family members. Abruptly ending their authorization to work and reside in the U.S. would leave them scrambling to resolve leases, sell property, close businesses, or secure continuity of care. These logistical burdens are almost impossible to resolve responsibly on such a short timeline.  

These challenges are compounded for those with chronic health conditions. Syria lacks the health infrastructure necessary to support returning families. According to the World Health Organization, 57% of hospitals and just 37% of primary care centers are fully operational. Medical supplies, staff, and critical facilities are in short supply, leaving over 15 million Syrians in urgent need of care. For TPS families with serious or chronic health conditions, returning to Syria risks losing access to essential medication, specialist care, or emergency treatment. Widespread shortages, damaged facilities, and an 81% gap in humanitarian health funding make treatment virtually impossible and put lives at risk.   

Ultimately, this policy shift puts thousands of families in a dangerous position, with serious risks to child welfare, continuity of care, and the educational and economic future of entire communities. 

The Case for a Six-Month Extension 

Given the gap between the unsafe conditions in Syria and the abrupt timeline imposed by the U.S. government, a six-month extension of TPS would serve multiple pragmatic objectives. It would provide time for affected individuals to assess options and prepare logistics for relocation or residence change. It would also give the U.S. government an opportunity to monitor conditions in Syria, reassess the viability of return, and ensure that decisions are based on transparent benchmarks. 

An extension is consistent with precedents in U.S. TPS administration. In prior instances, the government has extended protection periods when the underlying country conditions continued to pose risks to returnees. This is not open-ended or a guarantee of permanent residence but rather a transition period designed to mitigate harm. 

Policy Recommendations 

The U.S. administration should: 

  • Issue a six-month extension for Syrian TPS holders, with clear guidance and implementation protocols, including safe-harbor provisions to prevent immediate removal. 
  • Include carve-outs or exemptions for those facing medical, educational, or humanitarian hardship, including mid-semester schoolchildren and individuals receiving essential medical treatment. 
  • Reconsider the evaluation criteria used to assess conditions in Syria, including by aligning TPS decisions with existing U.S. government sources such as State Department travel warnings and other credible indicators of safety, infrastructure, and return viability. 
  • Engage U.S. agencies, NGOs, and international organizations to monitor Syria’s humanitarian and security situation, including reconstruction, access to services, and protection of housing, land, and property rights.  

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