UN Reports: Post Assad Syria Sees Largest Refugee Return Since 2011

Since the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024, approximately 850,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homeland from neighbouring countries, with projections suggesting the number could climb to 1 million in the coming weeks, according to a senior U.N. refugee agency official. Kelly T. Clements, UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner, speaking in Damascus, reported that around 1.7 million internally displaced Syrians have also resettled in their communities, as the interim government consolidates control over much of the country. “It’s a dynamic period. It’s an opportunity where we could see potentially solutions for the largest global displacements that we have seen in the last 14 years,” said Clements, who has been in Syria for three days.

The Syrian war, ignited in March 2011, claimed nearly 500,000 lives and displaced half of the nation’s 23 million pre-war population, with over 5 million fleeing to countries like Lebanon, Türkiye, and Jordan. Lebanon, hosting the highest per capita refugee population globally, offered an amnesty for undocumented Syrians to leave by August 31, 2025, prompting thousands to cross back in recent days. Clements, visiting a Lebanon-Syria border crossing, observed long lines of trucks and people returning, noting, “Returns numbers are exceptionally high.” However, motivations vary, with some awaiting further stability.

Despite optimism following Assad’s ouster by insurgent groups, sectarian violence has marred progress. Killings targeting Alawites in the coastal region in March 2025 and Druze in Sweida in July displaced 190,000 in southern Syria alone. Clements highlighted that 21 relief convoys, supported by UNHCR, have reached Sweida, aided by the reopening of the Damascus-Sweida highway, previously blocked by pro-government forces. “This is very important because that will allow much more relief to come into the area,” she said. A UNHCR survey from early 2025 showed 80% of refugees hope to return, up from 57% in April 2024, with 27% planning to do so within a year. Türkiye hosts 2.8 million Syrians, while over 70% of refugees in neighboring countries live in poverty, underscoring the urgency of sustained aid.