Syria: Information on whether it is illegal to trade in foreign currencies such as US dollars and the penalties associated with this activity

The following information was provided during a 6 January 1998 telephone interview with an independent investigative journalist in London who has written two books and several articles on Syria and who has conducted several research trips in Syria. The investigative journalist travels to Syria regularly.

There is a law in Syria that bans the use of foreign currencies but it is not enforced. Syrians are allowed to trade in foreign currencies or US dollars only when they acquire them through export trading. There is currently intense pressure on the government to annul the law. The penalty for trading in foreign currencies is imprisonment.

The following information was provided during a 16 January 1998 telephone interview with a specialist on Syria and a sociologist with the Sitftung Wissenschaft Und Politik, a research institute on international relations in Ebenhausen, Germany. The sociologist travels to Syria regularly.

Trading in foreign currencies is officially a crime in Syria. However, it is a common practice among Syrians to trade in US dollars, especially in big cities. Syrians are officially allowed to trade in US dollars for export purposes. They can keep a certain percentage of the foreign currencies they use in their export activities to reinvest in their business. The penalty for illegal trading in foreign currencies can be up to fifteen years in prison. The sociologist was aware of a few persons who were arrested at the beginning of the 1990s for this offence and all were released quickly. There are no systematic searches by security forces related to this activity today.

According to the Internet US State Department Consular Information Sheet and Travel Warnings

Syrian currency cannot be exchanged for any other currency. Travelers must declare all foreign currency when they enter Syria. Amounts in excess of $5,000 US (or $2,000 for those holding dual Syrian-American nationality) is subject to confiscation upon leaving Syria (2 Oct. 1996).

According to the 1993 Jordan and Syria: A Travel Survival Kit,

The introduction of the "rate in neighboring countries" in late November, at the same time as massive price rises, has dealt a more effective blow to the black market in currency that a tough law introduced in 1986 providing for up to 15 years in jail for the unwarranted possession of hard currency. Officials insist that law has now fallen into disuse, and although people are still afraid of the possible consequences, they are changing more openly than a few years ago. Some will even change travellers' cheques. The difference between what you'll get in the bank and on the street is, however, probably not great enough to justify going out of your way to use the black market (159).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Independent investigative journalist, London, England. 6 January 1998. Telephone interview.

Simonis, Damien and Finlay, Hugh. 1993. Jordan and Syria: A Travel Survival Kit. Hawthorn, Aus: Lonely Planet Publications, p. 159.

Sociologist, Sitftung Wissenschaft Und Politik, Ebenhausen, Germany. 16 January 1998. Telephone interview.

United States, State Department. 2 October 1996. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings. Internet. < URL: http://travel.state.gov/syria.html > [Accessed on 30 Dec. 1997]