Over 300,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their country since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported on Friday.
In total, 1.2 million people have come back to the country since early December, according to UNHCR spokesperson Céline Schmitt. This includes the 300,000 refugees and the around 900,000 internally displaced Syrians (IDPs).
Nearly half of the returning refugees came from Turkey, according to figures provided on Thursday by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Almost 3 million Syrians sought refuge in Turkey during the Syrian civil war.
"Since December 8, more than 133,000 Syrians have voluntarily returned to their country. As stability takes hold in Syria, this number will increase. We will not force anyone, but if our brothers and sisters wish to return, we will facilitate their journey," Erdogan said.
A February 2025 report by the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM), indicated that while many who have returned to Syria were able to come back to their place of origin, some had to return to other locations due to security reasons or damage in the area.
The IOM is re-establishing its presence in Damascus to identify humanitarian needs and enhance collaboration with UN partners and local communities.
"Syria remains a major humanitarian crisis, and the needs are immense," said IOM Director General Amy Pope. "IOM is dedicated to helping the people of Syria on their journey to recovery, and collecting and analysing data...is one of the key ways we will do that."
