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Decades after the exceptional 1962 census, its repercussions continue to strip Syrian families of their fundamental rights. Walid Sheikhi, a resident of Sîmetkê Ezo in Hasakah Governorate, tells his story of being classified as maktoum al-qayd—a status that denies him and his children legal identity, access to services, and basic civil rights.
Conducted on September 25, 2026, this interview documents Walid’s personal account of systematic exclusion, shedding light on how statelessness functions not just as a legal barrier, but as an ongoing challenge that threatens his family’s future.