Maldives Lifts Travel Ban To Syria, Removes HTS From Terrorist List

The Maldives has lifted the travel ban on Syria, which was originally enforced in 2019 due to the civil war and ongoing insurgency. At the same time, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group currently governing Syria, has been removed from the country’s list of proscribed terrorist organisations.

Under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the list of proscribed terrorist organisations and restricted warzones for Maldivian travellers is required to be reviewed annually and published by the President on the advice of the National Security Council.

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HTS assumed power in Syria after forces led by President Ahmed Al Sharaa toppled the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024. The group had been listed as a proscribed terrorist organisation in the Maldives since 2019 and remained on the list following the previous review in December 2024, alongside 19 other organisations.

The latest review, published last Thursday, delisted HTS and lifted the ban on Maldivian travel to Syria. Reports indicate the decision follows international moves by several countries to recognise HTS as Syria’s legitimate government and remove it from their own lists of proscribed terrorist organisations.

Among these countries is the United States, where President Donald Trump recently met with Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa at the White House.