UN report expects return of 1.5 million Syrian refugees to their homeland by 2025

A report issued by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reveals expectations of a large number of Syrian refugees returning from neighboring countries to their homeland during the current year and the next year, amid improved political and security conditions.

The report, titled "Global Trends 2024", indicated that around two million Syrians have already been able to return to their original areas after years of forced displacement, while it is expected that another 1.5 million refugees will return by the end of 2025.

A survey conducted by the commission last January showed a significant shift in the intentions of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries to return, with 80% expressing their desire to return "someday", while 27% expressed their intention to return within the next 12 months, compared to less than 2% in April 2024.

The report speculated that this shift is a result of recent political developments in Syria, noting that these results represent a "window of hope" after years of uncertainty.

On the other hand, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, emphasized the importance of providing support to returnees to rebuild their lives, stressing the importance of providing basic services and rehabilitating infrastructure in Syria to ensure a safe and sustainable return.

The report pointed out that the majority of those willing to return plan to return to their hometowns to participate in reconstruction, while more than half of the refugees are still not ready to return at the moment.

The commission emphasized the importance of continuing support from host countries to maintain protection services for refugees, while also emphasizing the need to increase investments in Syria to accommodate the expected numbers of returnees.

It is worth noting that Jordan hosts the second largest gathering of Syrian refugees in the region, with an expected return of around 200,000 refugees from there in the near future, according to UN estimates.