DAMASCUS, 11 Dec. - (ANA) - A historic number of Syrian refugees have voluntarily returned home in the year since Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power by rebel groups in the country, new reports reveal.

 

As well as internally displaced people (IDPs) going back to their areas of origin, tens of thousands of refugees returned from various countries, including Turkey, Lebanon, Germany and other European countries.

 

During the 14-year-long war, over 6 million Syrians were displaced from the country, but as of December 2025, nearly 1.8 million people have gone back home since Assad's ouster, the UN states.

 

On Tuesday, a day after Syrians marked the anniversary of Assad’s ouster – now labelled ‘Liberation Day’ in the country -Turkey’s interior minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 578,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their country.

 

In a statement, he added that Syrians "returned to their homeland safely, with dignity and in an organised manner".

 

He also said that Turkish authorities no longer receive news of "separation and pain" of Syrians, and instead hear countless stories of "Syrians meeting up in their homeland and reuniting with their families after years of refuge in multiple countries around the world".

 

During Assad’s crackdown, around 3.74 million refugees settled in Turkey, while 672,000 sought refuge in Jordan. Lebanon also housed around 840,000 Syrians who fled their home country.

 

Many Syrians who have returned home have expressed wanting to rebuild the country, launch businesses, and invest in its infrastructure.

 

On Monday, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that Syria was entering a new era of peace, and that authorities were committed to making the country a home for people of all backgrounds.

 

According to the UN agency UNHCR, at least 170,000 Syrians have returned from Jordan since 8 December 2024, with the agency stating many of them still need assistance with counselling, transportation and cash.

 

In Lebanon, around 379,000 Syrians have returned as of the end of November as part of a voluntary repatriation programmed carried out by authorities.

 

In Egypt, too, Syrian refugees have been eager to return over the last year. Data from the UN states that almost 28,000 peoplehave been recorded as having returned since this time last year.

 

Rights agencies have stressed that refugees should not be forced to return, particularly as the security situation in the country remains precarious in certain areas and the nation remains in a transitional phase.

 

Refugees returning still face several challenges, as the country has been devastated by over a decade of turmoil and bombardment. Access to schools, medical care and key infrastructure remains difficult for many people, who also struggle to secure a stable livelihood.

 

Several European states, including Germany, Denmark, Italy, Sweden and the UK said they would be halting asylum applications for Syrians following the fall of Assad.

 

Despite many Syrians being keen to return, the policy has left many in limbo and apprehensive as they do not know what they will be returning to, citing the sheer scale of destruction in the country.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/11 December 2025 - - -