Syrian authorities announced an interior ministry restructuring aimed at combating drug and human smuggling, coinciding with improved relations with the West following the lifting of US sanctions. The reforms include creating a modern civil security institution, a citizens’ complaints department, and a new border security body, while enhancing the role of the anti-drug department. The foreign ministry welcomed the sanctions relief as a positive step for humanitarian recovery, though analysts caution that lifting all sanctions may take time and depend on the new government’s actions to attract foreign investment.
