Over 25,000 Syrian Refugees Return to Syria From Turkey Post-Assad, With Turkey's Facilitation

Dec 24, 2024, 09:46 AM

More than 25,000 Syrian refugees have returned to Syria from Turkey in the last 15 days following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad by Islamist-led HTS rebels, according to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. The number of returns has increased nearly sevenfold since the regime's fall. Since 2017, a total of 763,443 Syrians have voluntarily returned home from Turkey. The returns are facilitated by Turkey, which shares a border of over 900 kilometers with Syria and currently hosts about 2.92 million Syrian refugees, including over 500,000 in Istanbul. To streamline the process, Turkey plans to establish migration offices in its embassy in Damascus and consulate in Aleppo. Additionally, one family member will be allowed to travel to Syria and return to Turkey three times between January 1 and July 1, 2025, to prepare for permanent resettlement. Returning Syrians will be permitted to take their household belongings, workplace equipment, and vehicles with them.