Syria Delisted from Canada’s List of Terrorism Supporting Countries

Canada has removed Syria from its list of states that support terrorism, aligning its policy with recent moves by the United States and the United Kingdom.

The decision follows actions by President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s transitional government aimed at strengthening national stability and working with international partners on regional security and counterterrorism.

The announcement on Friday comes as Syria approaches one year since the removal of former ruler Bashar al-Assad. Canada also revoked the terrorist designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that led the coalition that ousted al-Assad.

Syria was added to Canada’s terrorism support list in 2012 after Assad’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests triggered a civil war. HTS had long been sanctioned for its ties to al-Qaeda, though several Western countries have now delisted the group to enable closer coordination with Syria’s new leadership.

Since taking power, Syrian authorities have sought to distance the country from its past abuses and project a more moderate and cooperative image domestically and internationally.

Canada said it will continue to enforce sanctions against 56 Syrian individuals, including former Assad-era officials and members of the ex-president’s family.