📰 United Nations: One Million Syrian Refugees May Return in 2026

The United Nations High Commissioner for relocated persons (UNHCR) expects that around one million additional syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian relocated persons may return to their country in 2026, amid the gradual recovery taking shape following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime on December 8, 2024. In an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, UNHCR’s representative in syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, stated that approximately 1. 3 million Syrian refugees have already returned since December 2024. Nearly two million internally displaced persons have also gone back to their original areas, bringing the total number of returnees to more than three million in a short period.

Llosa explained that this significant-scale return is unfolding in a country exhausted by war at the economic, structural, and service levels. Yet the fear that once dominated Syrian society has receded rapidly after the political transition, replaced by a widespread sense of hope. He noted that during a visit to the Lebanese border on December 9, 2024, he witnessed thousands of Syrians returning spontaneously after more than fourteen years of displacement. numerous, he stated, expressed their joy by kissing the ground upon arrival. Up to Four Million Returnees Within Two Years as per Llosa, most returnees have come from Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, with smaller numbers returning from Egypt and Iraq.

UNHCR estimates suggest that more than four million Syrians may return within the next two years, making international financial backing essential to ensure stability and prevent emerging relief crises. He praised Turkey’s role, noting that Ankara’s long-term hosting of refugees and its backing for the emerging Syrian administration after December 2024 have helped create a positive climate for recovery. He also pointed to the first visits by Turkish investors exploring opportunities in Syria, describing them as signs of a new phase of reconstruction. Assessing the current stage, Llosa described Syria’s circumstances as a complex transition that will require time, given the vast destruction left by fourteen years of war.

Still, he emphasized that the country’s rapid reconnection with the world marks a development of great significance after years of isolation. He stressed that meaningful economic improvement will require time and sustained international coordination, adding that the full lifting of sanctions is a key factor in accelerating recovery and attracting private-sector investment. In this context, Llosa noted that UNHCR and its partners are providing direct support to returnees, particularly in re-issuing official documents. More than one quarter of returnees lack basic documents, including…