In 2025, around 1.3 million Syrians returned from abroad, a sharp increase of nearly three times the previous year. An additional two million internally displaced Syrians also came back, reducing the global Syrian refugee population from 6 million to 4.9 million.
On 8 December 2024, the 54‑year‑old al‑Assad regime was toppled by a rebel offensive.
The 14‑year conflict generated one of the world’s largest migration crises. At its peak in 2021, approximately 6.8 million Syrians—about a third of the country’s population—fled, dispersing across the region and worldwide.
Over half of these refugees settled in neighbouring Turkiye (about 3.74 million), while 840,000 found shelter in Lebanon and 672,000 in Jordan.
Hiam told Al Jazeera she returned with her family after more than a decade in a host country. “We were pushed back because of the high cost of living there. We endured 12 years of hardship as refugees,” she said.
We returned to Syria, thank God, but the initial period was difficult: we couldn’t find homes or anything. The landscape was entirely different from when we left. Adjusting was extremely hard for me at first.
“But thank God, I grew stronger. The early days were extremely challenging, and adapting was tough,” Hiam added.
UNHCR data report that 556,000 Syrians returned from Turkiye, 465,000 from Lebanon, and 256,000 from Jordan.
More than 70% of returnees report improved security and freedom of movement in Syria, and nearly 75% of refugees abroad express a desire to eventually return.
By mid‑May 2026, return figures had reached 549,800, propelled by worsening conditions in Lebanon.
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