On December 8, 2024, Canada welcomed the end of the Assad regime in Syria, reaffirmed its commitment to the Syrian people and urged all parties to work toward an inclusive political transition. Canada committed to collaborating with partners to support the Syrian people and to hold the Assad regime to account before the International Court of Justice for the torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment and punishment of their own people.

On February 27, 2025, the Minister of Foreign Affairs issued a general permit under the Syria Regulations (the “General Permit (Syria)”) for six months, to temporarily ease some of Canada’s autonomous economic sanctions on Syria. This General Permit allows all Canadians and persons in Canada to provide any financial or related services to, or within Syria, in support of democratization, stabilization and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to, or within, Syria, including by taking part in transactions through the Central Bank of Syria and six other sanctioned banks. The General Permit (Syria) was extended for an additional six months in August 2025 and is valid until February 23, 2026.

With the coming into force of amendments to the Syria Regulations, the General Permit (Syria) will no longer be necessary and it will not be renewed upon its expiry. 

On December 5, 2025, Canada removed Syria from its Order Establishing a List of Foreign State Supporters of Terrorism under the State Immunity Act and removed Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities under the Canadian Criminal Code.

On February 18, 2026, Canada removed 24 entities from the Syria Regulations to ease barriers to economic activity and enable transactions with state‑affiliated entities in sectors vital to Syria’s recovery. Canada also introduced two new listing criteria to allow the designation of those involved in gross and systematic human rights violations or in undermining Syria’s peace, security and stability. Under these new criteria, six individuals have been listed.

Individuals listed

The following individuals are listed for engaging or having engaged in gross and systemic human rights violations in Syria and/or activities undermining the peace, security or stability of Syria.

1.   Sayf Boulad Abu Bakr, former leader of an armed group, the Hamza Division

2.   Mohammad al-Jassim (also known as Abu Amsha and Al-Amshat), former leader of an armed group, the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade

3.   Ghaith Suleiman Dalla (also known as Ghiath), former brigadier general of the Syrian Arab Army and commander of the al-Ghaith Forces of the 42nd Brigade and former leader of a pro-Assad regime armed group

4.   Miqdad Fatiha, former officer in the Republican Guard of the Syrian Arab Army and current leader of a pro-Assad regime armed group, the Coastal Shield Brigade (Dara’ al-Sahel) 

5.   Mudalal Khoury, Syrian-Russian businessman and financier of the Assad regime

6.   Imad Khoury, Syrian-Russian businessman and financier of the Assad regime

Entities delisted

The following entities have been delisted from the Syria Regulations:

1. Commercial Bank of Syria 
2. Real Estate Bank
3. Industrial Bank 
4. Popular Credit Bank 
5. Saving Bank 
6. Agricultural Cooperative Bank 
7. Central Bank of Syria 
8. Syrian International Islamic Bank 
9. Al Furat Petroleum Company 
10. Syria Trading Oil Company 
11. Dier ez-Zor Petroleum Company 
12. Ebla Petroleum Company 
13. Dijla Petroleum Company 
14. Syrian Petroleum Company 
15. Mahrukat Company (also known as the Syrian Company for the Storage and Distribution of Petroleum Products) 
16. General Organization of Tobacco 
17. Cotton Marketing Organization 
18. Addounia TV 
19. Al Watan 
20. Cham Press TV 
21. General Organization of Radio and TV (also known as GORT) 
22. Syriatel 
23. El-Tel 
24. Syrian Arab Airlines (also known as Syrian Air)