Although more than ten months have passed since the interim government took office in Syria, the issue of employees dismissed for participating in the Syrian revolution remains among the most sensitive topics in the country’s evolving political scene.
Thousands of dismissed teachers and employees are waiting for an official decision that would restore their jobs and compensate them both materially and morally, while indications continue to point to ongoing governmental delays in addressing the matter.
These repeated delays have sparked growing frustration among Syrians, both on the streets and across social media platforms, where demands have transformed into a popular pressure movement calling on the government to take tangible steps to restore confidence in its promises of justice and fairness.
Statistics from the Ministry of Education alone indicate that the number of dismissed employees has reached 25,907, of whom 20,300 have completed their data with the directorates in preparation for reinstatement. However, thousands of names remain outside the lists, with no clear justifications or specified timeline.
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The suffering of the dismissed
The story of teacher Ahmad al-Hassoun, 44, from southern Idlib countryside, captures the painful reality faced by thousands of dismissed employees who have been deprived of their most basic professional and living rights due to the war.
Ahmad told +963 that he was dismissed from his job in 2012 after participating in a peaceful demonstration calling for freedom, dignity, and an end to the security grip on political and social life.
He adds, in a tone reflecting both bitterness and exhaustion, “They accused me of incitement, even though I never carried a weapon nor belonged to any political faction. The charge was ready for anyone who dared express an opinion.”
He explains that his dismissal was not merely a professional sanction but a sentence of social and economic exclusion, as he lost his salary, more than ten years of service, and his right to retirement benefits.
Ahmad says he was forced to give private lessons intermittently to support his family under extremely difficult conditions, considering that “the dismissal not only ended my career but also cut the lifeline for my entire family.”
After the fall of the regime, he submitted his papers to the specialized committees within the Directorate of Education, hoping to return to work, but he has yet to receive any official response. Many of his colleagues share the same situation, and frustration is growing among them due to the government’s silence.
He adds, “Every day we hear new promises, but no decisions on the ground. Some have lost hope, while others continue to follow up in the hope of a breakthrough. The official silence only deepens our anxiety.”
For Ahmad, the issue has gone beyond a mere job; it has become a matter of dignity and justice. “We committed no crime,” he says. “We only exercised our right to free expression. Granting us justice now is not a favor but a rightful obligation if the state is to regain its citizens’ trust.”
In August, the Prime Minister’s Office in the transitional government announced the formation of a central committee to review the status of dismissed employees from 2011 through the end of 2024, including representatives from the Ministries of Education, Administrative Development, and Justice.
However, more than two months later, no timeline or implementation stages have been announced. Government statements merely confirm that “the file is in its final review stage,” a phrase now commonly repeated without practical outcomes.
Soad Tawfiq, 46, an Arabic language teacher from Idlib, was dismissed in 2013 after participating in a teachers’ strike calling for an end to security interference in schools.
The strike was then considered an “act of hostility toward the state,” and she was dismissed without investigation or prior warning, finding herself excluded from a profession to which she had devoted over a decade.
Soad told +963 that the decision was not just administrative but a turning point in her professional and personal life, as she lost her only source of income and had to support her elderly parents through irregular jobs unrelated to her academic qualifications.
She adds that the war worsened her ordeal, forcing her to relocate multiple times and lose most of her official documents, making the process of reclaiming her rights even more complicated. Despite that, she resubmitted her papers after the fall of the regime but, like hundreds of others, has received no response to date.
What deepens the dismissed employees’ sense of injustice, according to Soad, is the disparity in treatment, as many who served the former regime have returned to their jobs while opponents remain excluded. This unequal approach has reinforced a widespread feeling of injustice and a conviction that favoritism still dominates administrative decisions.
Soad explains that her demand is not only about reemployment but also about restoring moral dignity and acknowledgment of the injustice inflicted on a large segment of educational professionals. She considers the fair resolution of this issue a real test of the state’s seriousness in building a new phase based on justice and reconciliation rather than discrimination and exclusion.
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Funding and implementation mechanisms
A source in the Ministry of Administrative Development told +963 that the committee “has completed the statistical phase of its work,” adding that “the remaining challenge lies in funding and implementation mechanisms,” without specifying a date for the final decision.
Cities such as Idlib, Aleppo, and Damascus have witnessed repeated protests over the past months, where hundreds of teachers gathered peacefully to demand reinstatement and compensation for the years they were dismissed.
Human rights activist and administrative affairs expert Mohammad al-Asfar, 35, warns that continued delays in resolving the issue may turn public anger into wider, coordinated protests that go beyond the symbolic gatherings seen in recent months.
He adds that prolonged waiting and loss of confidence in government promises increase the likelihood of escalation, potentially leading to broad social tension, especially in areas suffering from deteriorating economic conditions and rising living pressures.
Al-Asfar notes that the danger of this issue is not merely social but extends to the erosion of public trust in the transitional government. Its failure to address the case of the dismissed, who represent part of the “revolutionary legitimacy,” risks reviving the sense of historical injustice that Syrians rose to end.
He emphasizes that the roots of the problem are not technical or administrative but deeply political, as government committees have limited their role to collecting data without taking decisive action, leaving the matter stagnant for months.
According to al-Asfar, the solution must begin with announcing a specific timeline outlining the stages of reinstatement and payment of financial entitlements to prevent further frustration and erosion of trust in institutions.
He believes that resolving the issue requires three urgent steps: issuing an official statement setting a clear timeframe for implementation, disbursing interim financial payments to those whose files are complete, and forming a joint committee including representatives of the dismissed to oversee implementation and ensure transparency.
He also calls for launching a unified electronic platform that allows direct follow-up of cases, to reduce bureaucracy and strengthen trust between the state and citizens.
Teacher Marwan al-Ali, 47, from Hama Governorate, one of those dismissed, points out that the current discussion over this issue coincides with a sensitive period marked by substantial salary increases for government employees, with some reaching more than one thousand dollars a month, while the average employee’s salary stands at around five hundred dollars.
He explains that this disparity deepens the feeling of injustice among thousands of dismissed employees who have lived without income for over a decade.
Al-Ali adds that the recent pay raises were not limited to top positions but also included the judiciary, defense, and health sectors, which has sparked widespread anger among the dismissed, who believe that the government has the financial capacity to fund raises but chooses to ignore their demands for reinstatement and justice.
He stresses that many of the dismissed see these decisions as evidence of misplaced priorities in managing the transitional phase, as the state focuses on improving the conditions of the elite while leaving the most affected groups without compensation or support.
Al-Ali warns that continuing this approach could further erode trust in official institutions, emphasizing that justice is not achieved by increasing the salaries of the privileged but by restoring the rights of those who paid the price for their convictions and contributed to the change that shaped the current reality.
