Immigration Accommodation in Damascus Canada
As a new immigrant arriving in Damascus one of the first tasks is to find short term and long-term accommodation in Damascus for you and your family.
Your first accommodation on arriving in Damascus may be temporary. This is ok, and is the route that most new migration arrivals in Damascus take. Some individuals opt of a good hostel or Serviced Accommodation in Damascus, while some are lucky enough to be able to stay with family or friends in the area. Most new arrivals take a short-term rental while they look for something long term. As with any city, it’s always easier to find someplace new to live once you are already there and Damascus is no different.
Accommodation for newcomers in Damascus Canada guide
You’ve been through the stress and emotional roller coaster involved with securing a visa for Canada and you’ve chosen Damascus as your destination. It’s a charming place with plenty or heritage. Damascus is well known to be extremely welcoming to new migrants.
Here is some background on Damascus for new immigration arrivals.
Damascus ( də-MASS-kəs or də-MAHS-kəs; Arabic: دمشق, romanized: Dimašq Arabic pronunciation: [diˈmaʃq], Syrian Arabic: Arabic pronunciation: [dɪˈmaʃʔ], Classical Syriac: ܕܰܪܡܣܘܩ, romanized: Darmswq) is the capital of Syria, the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth holiest city in Islam. Following the Syrian Civil War, it became the country’s largest city, surpassing the northern city of Aleppo.
It is colloquially known in Syria as aš-Šām (الشَّام) and titled the “City of Jasmine” (مَدِينَةُ الْيَاسْمِينِ Madīnat al-Yāsmīn). Damascus is a major cultural center of the Levant and the Arab world. The city had an estimated population of 2,079,000 in 2019.
In southwestern Syria, Damascus is the center of a large metropolitan area. Its population in 2004 was estimated to be 2.7 million people. Embedded on the eastern foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range 80 kilometres (50 mi) inland from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean on a plateau 680 metres (2,230 ft) above sea level, Damascus experiences a dry climate because of the rain shadow effect. The Barada River flows through Damascus.
Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. First settled in the second millennium BC, it was chosen as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750. After the victory of the Abbasid dynasty, the seat of Islamic power was moved to Baghdad. Damascus saw its importance decline throughout the Abbasid era, only to regain significant importance in the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. Today, it is the seat of the central government. As of September 2019, eight years into the Syrian Civil War, Damascus was named the least livable city out of 140 global cities in the Global Liveability Ranking.
Finding Immigration Accommodation for Newcomers in Damascus Canada
Most searches begin with a search engine. Local papers in Damascus may well be online and of course, listing sites such as Craigslist and Rentfaster Damascus can be of great help.
What is the cost of short term accommodation in Damascus
The cost of short-term newcomer accommodation in Damascus varies greatly depending on requirements and neighborhoods. Lots of new arrivals to Damascus use Airbnb to give them an indication of short term rental process in Damascus and also the option to book with confidence and security.
Another website that offers the same accommodation as Airbnb.
Rental accommodation in Damascus for newcomers
One you decide to rent an apartment or house there are certain things specific to Canada to keep in mind. For example, make sure to agree who pays for utilities, and who is responsible for removing snow!
Property owners and landlords will usually require payslips or proof of income, bank statements and occasionally they may require references from previous landlords although lots of new immigrants to Damascus were homeowners in their previous country. Sometimes it does help to already have secured employment in the greater Damascus area.
All renters in Damascus have rights, so you need to familiarize yourself with those rights before you sign any agreement. Thankfully there are a number of Organizations set up in Damascus to help. These are called Newcomer services and a list of these can be found here: newcomer service
Newcomer subletting in Damascus Canada
Sometimes when a renter leaves for a few months they will sublet their accommodation. Quite often they leave some furnishings behind and for some newcomers to Damascus this can be an ideal option, especially if you’ve yet to buy furniture or if your shipment is delayed.