
Nearly 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homeland since the fall of the regime of Bashar Al-Assad in early December, said UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi, according to AFP.
Speaking on Saturday ahead of an upcoming visit to the region, Grandi shared the latest figures and outlined the UNHCR's plans to support returnees.
Between December 8 and January 16, approximately 195,200 Syrians made their way back home, as revealed in data published by Grandi on X.
"Soon I will visit Syria — and its neighboring countries — as UNHCR steps up its support to returnees and receiving communities," Grandi stated.
Last year, hundreds of thousands of Syrians fled Lebanon to escape Israeli attacks during its conflict with Hezbollah. Many have since returned, encouraged by hopes of stability following Assad's ouster.
The regime’s downfall came after a swift offensive by Islamist rebels late last year, fueling optimism for an end to the 13-year civil war that left more than half a million dead and displaced millions.
Turkey, which shares a 900-kilometer border with Syria, is home to about 2.9 million Syrians who sought refuge since the conflict began in 2011.
Turkish authorities, aiming to ease mounting anti-Syrian sentiment domestically, are facilitating the resettlement process by allowing one member of each refugee family to make up to three round trips until July 1, 2025, to prepare for their return.
Syria is now led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Islamist Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS). Al-Sharaa recently announced that he has reached an agreement with the leaders of the other Syrian rebel groups to dissolve their organizations and join the new Syrian government.
Under the agreement, the rebel groups will lose their independence and be integrated into the new Syrian army under the Defense Ministry.
HTS, which was once a part of Syria’s Al-Qaeda branch, is listed as a “terrorist organization” in the US.
However, since Assad’s ouster, the United States has engaged in direct communication with HTS and with Al-Sharaa.
In December, Al-Sharaa held a meeting with Barbara Leaf, the top US diplomat for the Middle East. Leaf led the first US diplomatic mission to Syria since Assad’s removal from power. During that meeting, Leaf informed Al-Sharaa that Washington would no longer pursue a reward for his arrest.