United Nations: More than 3 million Syrian refugees and displaced persons return to their homes a year after the fall of the Assad regime

 The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced that a year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, more than three million refugees and displaced Syrians have returned to their homes, but there is an urgent need for greater international support to maintain this trend and ensure stability.

 

The Commission indicated – in a report today, Monday – that much more international support is required to ensure the continuation of this momentum, as more than 1.2 million Syrians have returned. Voluntarily from neighboring countries since December 2024, along with more than 1.9 million internally displaced people who have returned to their areas of origin, with many expressing their desire to return home.

This represents a very important step towards the recovery process in Syria, as forced displacement was among the deep wounds left by the conflict in Syria. Therefore, return is necessary to turn the page on years of suffering and to ensure stability. 

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said, “Without urgent international support, this window of hope may close… The Syrians are ready for reconstruction, and the question is: Is the world ready to help them do that?”.

With the increasing number of Syrians returning to their homes, the UNHCR began facilitating voluntary returns from neighboring countries to ensure A dignified and sustainable return. Support includes cash assistance, transportation, and advice on civil documents needed to facilitate reintegration.

UNHCR has expanded the scope of its activities in neighboring host countries since January 2025, in response to the growing demand for voluntary return, as at least 170,000 Syrians have returned from Jordan to Syria since 8 December 2024. The UNHCR office in Jordan has provided assistance to more than 24,000 cases, including through counseling And exchange of information, transportation and cash assistance.

In Lebanon, UNHCR suspended providing refugee support to about 379,000 Syrians until the end of November as a result of their confirmed or presumed return. Of these, 45,000 of them received consultations and forms to return to the homeland and cash grants from UNHCR to return to their homes. More than 2,600 people also benefited from transportation services organized by the International Organization for Migration. The voluntary repatriation program is implemented in close cooperation with Authorities.

As for Egypt, the files of nearly 28,000 individual cases have been closed since December 8, 2024, while about 560,000 Syrians returned from Turkey voluntarily during the past year.

The UNHCR monitored the return of about 420,000 refugees in coordination with the authorities, and the refugees received advice and information about the conditions in their areas of origin, and cash amounts for transportation. The UNHCR also provides support to refugees by providing them with civil documents before Departure, and provides them with referrals and financial support upon their arrival.

UNHCR stresses the need not to force refugees to return, as the security situation inside Syria remains volatile in some areas.. Syrian refugees are closely monitoring the development of the situation on the ground, as there are still enormous challenges in a country that has been ravaged by war for 14 years, where entire neighborhoods are still in a state of ruin, including schools, hospitals and water networks, while electricity, clean water and health care services are lacking. It is still intermittent, livelihood opportunities are limited, local markets suffer from a lack of supplies, and many returnees lack civil documents, which hinders access to property rights and basic services.

In the same context, unexploded ordnance continues to threaten lives, as 577 people have lost their lives since the beginning of the year, while UNHCR is working to improve the conditions of returnees.

Since the beginning of the year, cash support has been provided to more than 26,000 families upon their return to Syria, and nearly 30,000 individuals received the necessary support to facilitate transportation from the border to their final destinations.

UNHCR teams are rehabilitating damaged homes and providing relief materials. So far, nearly 3,000 families have been supported in terms of shelter restoration, and 84,000 families have received basic supplies, such as blankets, mattresses, and winter clothes, and nearly 30,000 families have received winter aid.

To meet assistance needs In Syria, UNHCR provides its services in community centers and through mobile teams to help returnees recover their property and access services. The teams also work to address gender-based violence, protect children, and provide psychological and social support.

UNHCR has rehabilitated civil registry and real estate registry offices, and also supports professional initiatives to promote recovery, including establishing small projects. Despite these efforts, UNHCR’s $1.5 billion appeal for the situation in Syria for 2017 was not funded. By 2025, only 33%, leaving millions without adequate shelter, basic services, and support to face the coming winter.

About 4.5 million Syrian refugees are still in neighboring countries, most of whom live below the poverty line, and they need continuous support, as is the case for the countries hosting them. There is also an urgent need to raise the level of funding to enhance recovery and reconstruction, expand the scope of training, and ensure the continuation of protection and humanitarian aid while supporting the host countries that are still hosting millions of Syrians…and this would Maintaining stability and curbing unsafe and unsustainable returns.

The Commission stressed that the Syrian government has a major responsibility to create a safe, rights-based environment that promotes voluntary returns, adding: “In the new Syria, only voluntary returns must be seen, not new waves of displacement.”

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