According to UNHCR estimates, between 8 December 2024 and late February 2025, some 297 292 Syrians returned to Syria from abroad. Of these refugees, 53 % returned from Lebanon, 25 % from Türkiye and 14 % from Jordan.902 Voluntary returns from Türkiye, amounting to 35 114 as of 30 December 2024 according to Turkish government figures,903 mainly involved Syrians returning alone, including persons seeking to assess the situation in Syria prior to reuniting with their families.904
Map 7: Overview of returns by governorate905
UNHCR indicated that, from the beginning of 2024 until late February 2025, the governorates where returnees from abroad mainly returned were Aleppo (with an estimated 143 680 returnees) and Raqqa (112 951 returnees), followed by Dar’a (72 007), Homs (69 624), Rural Damascus (62 738) and Idlib (46 273).906
It is not clear if all the returns are permanent. According to a Refugees International report, many Syrians return to inspect their land, evaluate security and economic conditions following the Assad regime’s collapse, or reunite with family. For others, returning is a necessity rather than a choice, as deteriorating conditions in host countries - marked by economic hardship, rising living costs, and limited opportunities - have made life increasingly unsustainable.907
Information on the treatment of returnees from abroad could not be found within the time constraints of this report.
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UNHCR, Syria governorates of return overview- 27 February 2025, 27 February 2025, url
- 903
UNHCR, Regional Flash Update #8 - Syria situation crisis, 2 January 2025, url, p. 3
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UNHCR, Regional Flash Update #11 - Syria situation crisis, 23 January 2025, url, p. 3
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UNHCR, Syria governorates of return overview- 27 February 2025, 27 February 2025, url
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UNHCR, Syria governorates of return overview- 27 February 2025, 27 February 2025, url
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Refugees International, Foreign Affairs: Syria’s Biggest Problem: How to Resettle Millions of Refugees and Displaced People, 11 February 2025, url