More than 125,000 Syrians have migrated to Syria after 13 years of war. Many have come back to a country that destruction and death has devastated, a country which has endured the dictatorship of Bashar Al-Assad.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), at least 580,000 people have died since the start of the war. Under the regime, many citizens and journalists have been kidnapped, injured or killed.

The fall of Assad has meant many Syrians have felt compelled to return to their home country, now it is free from his regime. These migrating Syrians face many challenges and must navigate multiple factors that influence their return, or whether they will return now or later. Here is more information about migration to Syria.

Host Countries are Eager to Facilitate Migration to Syria

Many host countries, such as Turkey respectively, are eagerly promoting Syrian migration. This has meant measures, such as Turkey reopening its Yayladagi border gate in order to “to prevent any congestion and ease traffic,” and make migration easier for most Syrians.

Humanitarian Emergency 

The main obstacles returning Syrians face are access to water, food and safe shelter. According to the UN, nearly 15 million Syrians require medical aid and 13 million are suffering through food insecurity. The war severely damaged essential infrastructure like hospitals, farmlands and shops. Mrinalini Santhanam from the WHO has said “Almost half of the hospitals in Syria are not functional.” However, there is still hope they can rebuild despite the current state of the country.  

The IOM has appealed for $73 million to assist the Syrian population. Since December 2024, the IOM has supplied 170,000 Syrians with clean water. The IOM aims to use the money to provide essential relief items to returning and displaced Syrians, like shelters, sanitation and health support. It also aims to apply its Displacement Tracking Matrix, a tool that analyzes data around displaced persons, in order to ensure that aid workers can provide more efficient and suitable support to Syrians.

According to the UNCHR, 90% of Syrians rely on humanitarian aid. Short term goals of providing aid will, in turn, support the long-term goal of rebuilding Syria into the thriving, beautiful country it once was. UNCHR is supporting this by providing shelters, cash and education programs for Syrians returning and those who the war displaced.

Overhauling Sanctions 

The global community can assist in achieving this goal of peace not only through providing aid but also in lifting sanctions. These sanctions had been placed upon Assad’s regime, not the current government. Therefore, they arguably are not providing any productive purpose.

Syrian Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak stated that “a smooth end to sanctions, appropriate action on designations too, and major funding” was necessary, claiming that such sanctions don’t apply to the current authority and impede the efforts to rebuild.

The EU has responded to this issue by agreeing to lift some sanctions. These include sanctions that had been placed on the “energy and […] financial institutions,” according to France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. This gradual removal of sanctions may help catalyze Syria’s growth by aiding the economy.

Most people migrating back to Syria plan to overcome the issue of a stunted economy by subsisting on money earned in the neighboring countries they once lived in. The UNCHR has reported that increasingly the demographic of returning Syrians are women and children. Reports have said that some families plan to leave the breadwinner of the family in the host country. This would enable the breadwinner to work and earn money that the family can use to successfully readapt into Syrian society.

Cultural Reintegration

Another issue that returning Syrians may face is how their experiences in host countries will influence how well they adjust back to Syrian society. This especially applies to children of Syrians, children who may have had little to no knowledge of or attachment to the country their parents were born in. Muhammed Salih Ali, head of the Association for Solidarity with Syrian Refugees in Izmir, Turkey, said it would be “very difficult for this generation to return.” 

The Future 

Despite the numerous hurdles that Syria faces, the unbridled support from NGOs and the determination of its people will help restore the country and give peace to its citizens. The steady increase of migration to Syria clearly shows that Syrians are resolute to return home to a country they deeply care about. 

– Maryam Abdalla

Maryam is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay