Syrian refugees who built lives in Jordan are packing up and starting over, as rising costs of living and aid cuts push them to return home—despite the hardships waiting on the other side of the border.
A six-month window for refugees in Turkey to visit Syria before committing to return is set to close on July 1. In Kilis, a border city transformed by an influx of refugees, many are preparing to leave, while others remain uncertain.
With dwindling aid and delays in registering informally with the UNHCR, tens of thousands of newly arrived Syrian refugees in Lebanon are largely on their own.
Taha al-Ghazi, a prominent Syrian refugee human rights activist in Turkey, was deported to northern Syria this month, sparking fears of a broader crackdown on Syrians and their advocates.
As displaced people return to destroyed communities in southern Idlib, local initiatives are emerging as stopgap solutions for basic repairs and services, stepping into some roles that are the responsibility of Syria’s new administration.
As Syrians return home, Turkey is losing cheap labor and small businesses, sparking apprehension about the future of the country’s labor market.
Returns to Afrin increased following agreements between the SDF and Damascus, with some villages seeing more than 80 percent of their displaced Kurdish residents return. Others are waiting for an organized return with security guarantees.
Aid cuts have deepened a water and sanitation crisis impacting hundreds of internal displacement camps in northwestern Syria, where humanitarian organizations have long provided essential services.
Thousands of Alawites have fled to Lebanon following sectarian killings on the Syrian coast. Local residents are springing into action, while some fear a spillover of violence.
Despite an improved political and security situation in many parts of Syria, tens of thousands of Syrians have continued to flock to Lebanon since the Assad regime fell last December.
