Over 175,000 Syrians Have Returned Home Since December, Says Turkish Minister
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Synopsis
Since December 9, 2022, a total of 175,512 Syrians have returned to their homeland from Turkey, according to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. The returns are organized in a safe and dignified manner with UN oversight. In total, 915,515 Syrians have returned since 2017.
Key Takeaways
- 175,512 Syrians returned home since December 2022.
- 915,515 total returns from Turkey since 2017.
- 33,730 families have participated in the return process.
- UNHCR oversees the voluntary return procedure.
- Turkey has introduced measures to facilitate safe returns.
Ankara, April 17 (NationPress) A total of 175,512 Syrians have voluntarily returned to their homeland from Turkey since December 9 of the previous year, as reported by Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Yerlikaya stated on Wednesday that the cumulative number of Syrians who have made the journey back from Turkey since 2017 has reached 915,515.
These returns, which include 33,730 families, have been conducted in what authorities label a "voluntary, safe, dignified, and orderly" fashion, according to Xinhua news agency.
Yerlikaya emphasized that the return process is conducted with transparency, under the supervision of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
To support this initiative, Turkey has implemented measures allowing for authorized exit and re-entry, and has stationed migration representatives in Syria to assist and monitor returnees on the ground.
Since the outbreak of civil war in 2011, millions of Syrians have sought refuge outside their country.
Turkey, which shares a lengthy border with Syria, has become a significant refuge, hosting over 3.6 million Syrians at the height of the crisis, according to UN statistics.
The Turkish government, which backs the Islamist-led rebels that ousted former President Bashar al-Assad, aims to expedite the return of refugees to mitigate the tensions their presence has caused in various regions of the country.
Overall, around 400,000 Syrians have returned from neighboring nations since the fall of Assad, based on information from the UNHCR.
The agency also noted that more than one million Syrians displaced within their homeland due to conflict have returned to their residences.
The significant change in Syria's political environment commenced on December 8, 2024, when Bashar al-Assad, who had governed Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia following control of Damascus by anti-regime forces, effectively ending Baath Party rule since 1963.
On January 29, a transitional Syrian administration was established under the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa, the commander of the opposition forces that ousted Assad.
The new administration abolished Syria's constitution, security services, armed factions, the Baath Party, and Parliament, paving the way for a new political structure.
