Scandal of Syria’s stolen homes: fraudsters use courts to legitimise thefts from refugees

Chaos of war means many homeowners have lost their documents, while official buildings, court records and title deeds have been destroyed. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

It was through an unexpected phone call from a police officer, telling him he was summoned to court in Damascus, that Abdullah*, 31, discovered his house was being stolen.

He had to abandon his home in 2012, when he fled Syria during a security crackdown on anti-government activists. Now, he was being told to explain to the courts that he had not transferred the house to a distant relative.