UN Announces Number of Returning Syrian Refugees
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, announced on Saturday that approximately 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homeland since December of last year. According to figures shared by Grandi on the platform X, around 195,200 Syrians have gone back to Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, up until January 16, 2025.
Grandi also revealed plans to visit Syria and neighboring countries soon to enhance the support provided by UNHCR to returnees, refugees, and host communities, although the exact schedule for this visit remains unspecified.
According to the same announcement, over 550,000 Syrians returned to their country in 2024, with Aleppo province in the north receiving the highest percentage of returnees, around 23%. Despite this, a UNHCR report released on Friday indicates mixed feelings among Syrian refugees about returning. Many express a desire to go back but also harbor doubts, highlighting the need for both financial and logistical support to rebuild their lives and homes in Syria.
In response to these needs, UNHCR, along with its partner organizations, has launched a joint plan to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees, emphasizing sustainable funding and protection programs for both refugees and host communities.
France Refuses to Repatriate Citizens Held in Northeastern Syria
