Greater than 270,000 Syrian refugees have returned for the reason that fall of Bashar al-Assad’s authorities in December 2024, with over 1 / 4 of these nonetheless overseas expressing a need to return within the coming months, mentioned a senior official from the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday.
Aseer Madaien, deputy consultant of the UNHCR mission in Syria, informed Xinhua that since Dec. 8, when a militant coalition toppled al-Assad’s authorities, the company has tracked a major enhance in refugee returns, signaling a shift in migration patterns.
“We’ve monitored the return of 270,000 Syrian refugees for the reason that political transition started,” Madaien mentioned. “If the supply of important providers improves, we anticipate this quantity to rise even additional.”
A regional UNHCR survey indicated that 27 p.c of Syrian refugees surveyed expressed willingness to return to Syria inside the subsequent yr — a considerable enhance from simply 1 p.c within the earlier yr, she added.
“This rise is critical and displays a rising confidence amongst Syrians in returning house,” Madaien famous.
Regardless of the uptick in returns, many refugees stay hesitant on account of persistent challenges.
In line with Madaien, main obstacles embrace a scarcity of housing, deteriorating public providers, and restricted employment alternatives.
“Many Syrians haven’t any houses to return to,” she mentioned, including that some internally displaced individuals who returned discovered themselves with out shelter.
Moreover, humanitarian organizations are struggling to fulfill the wants of returning refugees. “The funding disaster is a serious problem. Making certain that returnees have entry to dignified residing circumstances is essential,” she mentioned.
Speaking in regards to the Syrian refugee camps in neighboring nations, the UNHCR official mentioned the destiny of the camps relies on the extent of help offered inside Syria.
“The closure of refugee camps will solely occur when circumstances inside Syria enhance,” she defined. “For the time being, we have now not seen any neighboring nation … actively pushing for large-scale refugee returns. They nonetheless consider the method ought to be gradual.”
In line with UN statistics, greater than 13 million Syrians have been forcibly displaced on account of over a decade of struggle within the nation. UNHCR officers have emphasised that guaranteeing protected and sustainable returns would require long-term investments in infrastructure, financial restoration, and authorized protections for returnees. ■
