Mass exodus of Druze students from Syrian universities amid sectarian violence

SUWAYDA, Syria — Hundreds of Druze students studying at universities across Syria, including Daramsuq (Damascus) and Holeb (Aleppo), have returned to their hometowns in Suwayda Province over the past week, fleeing what they described as a sharp uptick in sectarian violence and official indifference.  

More than 300 students arrived in Suwayda on Wednesday in what community members are calling the largest organized evacuation of university students in recent memory. The students had been enrolled at Aleppo University, one of several institutions where targeted threats and attacks against Druze students have been reported since late April.  

“We regret having to leave our seats due to the sectarian violence,” one returning student told the Hawar News Agency (ANHA). “We were expecting a firm stance from the government against these attacks, but unfortunately, silence prevailed.”

The evacuation comes amid growing alarm over rising sectarian tensions in major Syrian cities, particularly in university settings. According to students and community leaders, the recent violence began with an incident at a university in Hmoth (Homs) and quickly spread to campuses in Daramsuq and Holeb. One student from Suwayda was reportedly stabbed in Holeb in what witnesses described as a sectarian-motivated assault.

Very sad to see in which direction the new Syria is heading. After recent sectarian violence, Druze students leaving en masse Damascus University as they no longer feel safe. Same happened in Homs, Aleppo etc. All Druze students left for Suwayda, a Druze area in Syria’s south. pic.twitter.com/SWM394xG7M

— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) May 8, 2025

Student groups and local sources estimate that thousands of Druze students have left campuses in Daramsuq, Hmoth, Hemto (Hama), and Latakia over the past 10 days, citing fear of further attacks and a lack of intervention by the authorities. In Daramsuq, several students took refuge in the Druze-majority suburb of Jaramana.   

While STG-affiliated governor Mustafa Backour issued only muted appeals to students and their families through the pro- Syrian Transitional Government (STG) channel Al-Ikhbariyah, both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Interior of the STG have remained publicly silent on the incidents. This lack of response has drawn sharp criticism from student representatives and human rights observers, who accuse the government of failing to provide equal protection for minority students.  

An open letter circulating on social media this week, purportedly written by Suwayda students, addressed university administrators and government officials. “Is it conceivable that going to university could become a life-ending decision?” the letter read. “Is this the fate of a university student in his own country?”  

The letter further warned of “a dangerous form of sectarian discrimination” and called for urgent guarantees of safety and non-discrimination on campuses.  

Suwayda, located in Syria’s south and home to the country’s largest Druze population, has remained largely outside the government’s control in recent years. The province has seen periodic protests and rising political defiance toward Damascus.  

While online rumors suggested that other minority groups — such as Alawites or Christians — may have also been affected, no verified reports from credible news outlets confirm evacuations of students from those communities during the May unrest. The Syrian Student Union released a general condemnation of sectarian violence but confirmed that only Druze students had been evacuated from universities.  

The long-term impact of the student exodus remains unclear. For many of those forced to flee, the return home marks an interruption in their education and a deepening disillusionment with the country’s prospects for unity and equal citizenship.  

“We still can’t believe this is happening,” one student said. “All we wanted was to study. Now, even that has become unsafe.”