Reports from Turkish Interior Ministry or international migration organizations

Over 25,000 Syrians Return to Homeland From Turkey After Assad's Fall, Migration Offices Set Up

Dec 24, 2024, 09:55 AM

Over 25,000 Syrians have returned to their homeland from Turkey in the past 15 days, following the fall of the Assad regime, according to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. This number represents a sevenfold increase in the daily return rate since the regime's ouster. The majority of these returnees came from the southeastern provinces of Gaziantep and Hatay, as well as Istanbul. Yerlikaya stated that the returnees are allowed to take all their household items, business equipment, and vehicles with them. Turkey, which hosts nearly 4 million Syrian refugees, including 2.92 million under temporary protection and 500,000 in Istanbul, is facilitating these returns by establishing migration management offices in its embassy in Damascus and consulate in Aleppo. Additionally, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has instructed that one family member be allowed three entries and exits to Syria between January 1 and July 1, 2025, to prepare for their family's return. Since 2017, over 763,000 Syrians have returned from Turkey.