The Netherlands has added Damascus International Airport to its list of departure airports subject to additional airline document-copying requirements.
The regulation requires carriers transporting passengers without Dutch passports from listed airports to the Netherlands, directly or through a transfer, to copy their travel documents and retain them for six months.
The Dutch government says it identified increased risks of irregular migration and identity or document fraud after Syrian Airlines began direct Damascus–Amsterdam service on July 2. That assessment prompted an update outside the normal twice-yearly revision cycle.
Signed on October 5 and published on October 14, the change took effect the following day. It also adds Tirana and Mumbai to the airport list.
Syria TV reported the new requirements on Saturday. The measure concerns airlines’ handling of travel-document copies; it is not an announced suspension of the Damascus route.
Sources: Syria TV; Dutch official gazette
Travellers with luggage. Illustrative image: The Times, via Syria TV.
