The issue of the “North Railway” area organization project in Raqqa is witnessing widespread interaction. While the Syrian authorities say that the project aims to address slums, improve infrastructure and provide modern housing, local residents fear the demolition of thousands of homes inhabited by about 25,000 people, amid a dispute over the ownership of the land itself, which the governorate confirms belongs to government agencies and was previously granted to the residents for agricultural purposes, while the residents talk about sales and purchases that took place over many years.
Infrastructure development
During a meeting with a delegation of residents from the northern railway area, Raqqa Governor Abdul Rahman Salama confirmed that the planned project aims to develop the infrastructure and improve the service and urban conditions in a way that achieves stability and preserves the rights of the residents, stressing that the governorate will not evict any family from their home before fully securing a suitable alternative.
He explained that the project comes within a plan to address the large spread of slums in the city, and to secure new and organized housing for the residents without burdening them with financial burdens, noting that all steps of the project will be presented to the residents before any final decision is made regarding it.
On Friday, protesters gathered at the Hazima roundabout north of Raqqa, demanding the cancellation of the organization's decision and rejecting the demolition operations.
On Friday, protesters gathered at the Hazima roundabout north of Raqqa, demanding the cancellation of the demolition order and rejecting any project that would remove their homes or displace them from the area under the guise of development and urban planning. The protesters also called for solutions that would preserve the social and economic stability of the residents and take into account the existing demographic reality that has existed for decades.
They emphasized that their objection to the project is not a rejection of urban planning or improved services, but rather to any plan that involves demolishing homes or infringing upon property rights they say have existed for decades. The residents stressed that they are demanding a fair urban plan that takes into account the demographic and urban realities of the area and safeguards residents' rights within a clear legal framework.
Regarding the reasons for the protests and the demands of the residents, the official spokesperson and head of the North Railway Neighborhoods Committee, Malek Al-Khader, explained to Al-Quds Al-Arabi the details of what is happening in the area, and the residents’ position on the zoning project.
He said that the Raqqa municipality had begun carrying out demolition operations in some areas north of the railway during the past period, explaining that part of those works affected lands that had been encroached upon by some people during the period of control of the “SDF”.
He added that the municipality also demolished four privately owned houses with "agricultural handover records," claiming that these houses were built after Raqqa was liberated from the control of the SDF. Subsequently, the municipality notified approximately 20 or more houses of demolition and removal orders. He noted that residents began inquiring about the reasons for these measures, only to discover, according to him, that there was a decision to demolish the entire area in order to establish a large investment project on what official sources described as informal settlements.
He noted that the residents immediately organized a sit-in and demonstration at Hazima roundabout to protest the project and reject the demolition orders. The governor's office then contacted the protesters and asked the residents to send a delegation to discuss the issue and clarify the circumstances surrounding the project, which helped to calm the public anger that had been prevailing in the area.
The delegation later met with the Deputy Governor and Mayor of Raqqa, Abdul Rahman al-Hassan, where both parties confirmed, according to al-Khadir, that the demolition decision was indeed in place, and that the state was moving towards implementing a large investment project in the area, noting that the number of houses included in the project reached about 3,200 houses.
Al-Khader explained that the delegation entered into negotiations with the deputy governor and themayor, and during the meeting it was agreed to temporarily halt any demolition operations, and to pursue the legal route through the court and submit legal complaints related to the case.
He pointed out that the confirmation of the existence of a comprehensive demolition decision for the area led to an escalation of popular discontent among the residents, which later prompted the residents to form a committee representing the neighborhood in order to follow up on the issue and communicate with the official authorities, noting that a delegation from the neighborhood committee met with the governor of Raqqa, Abdul Rahman Salama, about a month after the first sit-in, explaining that the governor received the delegation “warmly and respectfully,” and provided a detailed explanation about the project and the proposed compensation mechanism.
According to the source, the governor asked the neighborhood committee to "convey the details of the meeting and the governorate's position to the residents with complete honesty."
During the meeting, the governor spoke about compensating residents by granting them ready-made apartments with a “green title deed” in the owner’s name. He also touched on what he described as the damages of slums and the difficulties associated with organizing them in terms of urban planning and services.
Al-Khader added that the delegation members listened to the full details of the project, explaining that the committee’s position during the meeting was that four members rejected the project, while only one member approved it, with another person who attended the meeting as a guest, namely Jassim Al-Askar, abstaining.
He noted that the meeting ended with an agreement with the governor to conduct a public referendum among the residents of the area to determine the people’s position on the project, so that the result of the majority would be the deciding factor in deciding whether to implement the project or cancel it.
According to the source, the governor asked the neighborhood committee to “convey the details of the meeting and the governorate’s position to the residents with complete honesty,” explaining that after the meeting ended, the committee informed the residents of all the details of the meeting through WhatsApp groups and through direct meetings with the residents in the neighborhood.
He added that, according to the committee, the reaction of the residents was “a complete rejection of the project by the vast majority of the population.”
But the residents were surprised about a week after the meeting with the governor when the project was announced via a television interview on “Syrian News,” which the residents considered, according to him, to be a “unilateral announcement” of the project before the discussions with the residents had concluded. He pointed out that this prompted the residents to gather again the following day at the Hazima roundabout and express their complete rejection of the project.
Regarding the residents’ demands, Al-Khader stressed that the North Railway Neighborhoods Committee supports the development of the city and the improvement of infrastructure and public services, but at the same time it adopts the residents’ demands calling for a halt to the demolition project, and working instead on preparing an organizational plan for the area according to its current situation. The committee also calls for addressing the real estate registry situation, settling ownership, and paying the legal fees and dues to the state, considering that these resources can form a basis for financing service and development projects that serve the neighborhoods of the area without the need to remove houses or displace residents.
Displacement of 25,000 people
Field activist Murad Al-Aayed, one of the protesters against the decision, told Al-Quds Al-Arabi: “We reject the demolition of 4,000 homes, and we will not accept the displacement of 25,000 people and the confiscation of plots that their owners have owned for many years under the guise of development or projects,” stressing that the residents consider themselves to be in the right and will not back down from their demands.
Al-Aayed added: “The residents of North Al-Sikka reject the description of the area as state property,” explaining that the lands in the area are private lands that were handed over according to official records within what is known as the pioneering project, noting that the circumstances and events that the city of Raqqa went through during the past years prevented the completion of the official registration of these lands with a green title deed.
He pointed out that what the residents consider to be state property is limited to specific locations such as the agricultural airport, Division 17, and the Palm Garden, stressing that the documents related to land ownership exist and are available to the residents.
Al-Ayed explained that the residents do not want financial compensation or ready-made, small-sized apartments, considering that imposing this type of solution on the residents “is done as if it were a favor to them,” while the residents’ demands are to preserve their homes and plots and to organize the area in a fair and official manner, with ownership being established with a green title deed that guarantees the rights and dignity of the residents.
Dispute over ownership
The issue of ownership has raised one of the most prominent aspects of the dispute between the residents and the official authorities, as the residents assert that the area contains private properties dating back decades, while the governorate indicates that the land ownership originally belongs to government entities and was previously granted to the residents for agricultural purposes.
The residents say that the existence of official handover records and sales and purchase transactions that have taken place over many years, in addition to the settlement of thousands of families in the area, gives the residents legal rights that must be taken into account in any new regulatory project.
Residents also point out that the area has a long-established service infrastructure, including schools, mosques, a health clinic and public facilities, reflecting its nature as a stable residential neighborhood and not just a recent random gathering.
Official position
According to a statement issued by the Raqqa Governorate Media Office, Salama explained that the project does not aim to remove the homes of the residents or restrict them, but rather to create a safer and more stable environment for families and children after years of suffering and neglect, stressing that no family will be evicted from their home before a suitable alternative is fully secured.
The governor emphasized that the residents' rights are fully protected and that compensation will be provided in the form of modern apartments that guarantee stability and dignity for every family. He explained that the governorate is committed to listening to the residents' demands and opinions throughout the various stages of the project's implementation, ensuring the public interest is served and preserving the citizens' dignity and stability.
Salamah: The project comes within the framework of addressing the widespread slums in the governorate, and includes building new housing for residents without any financial burdens.
He stressed that the project comes within the framework of addressing the widespread slums in the governorate, and includes building new housing for residents without any financial burdens, noting that all steps of the project will be presented to the residents before any final decision is made, in order to ensure that no solutions are imposed without their agreement.
In an interview on the Syrian News Channel on Saturday, he explained that improving the situation of the slums and dust represents a top priority for the governorate in the coming period, indicating that the North Railway area lacks the most basic services, as there is no sewage system, no paved roads, no parks, no schools, no mosques, and no health centers, pointing out the large difference between the reality of this area and the relatively organized heart of the city.
He pointed out that the governorate's idea is based on preparing a new organizational plan for the area, stressing that the goal is to move the residents to new, organized housing in the same area north of the railway with good areas, without them paying any fees, while fully preserving their rights to the lands they own, as the proposal was to move the residents to a place in the same area and not far from it.
Project implementation phases
Every step of the project will be subject to a public referendum and open hearings with all residents.
He explained that the project will be implemented in two phases. The first phase includes organizing the area and securing basic services such as sewage, roads and electricity, while the second phase includes construction work. He indicated that the project may take between 3 and 5 years depending on demand and available resources.
The governor affirmed that all steps of the project will be subject to a public referendum and open hearings with all residents before any final decision is made, stressing that the governorate will not impose any solutions and will listen to all opinions, and that the plan is subject to amendment in case of opposition from the residents.
