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.
Around 25,000 people have returned to Darayya, just south of Damascus, since the regime fell. Destruction and a worsening housing crisis prevents the return of others to the battered city, home to 350,000 people before 2011.
The Zaatari refugee camp’s bustling economy ground to a halt when the Assad regime fell. Local shopkeepers say the value of their businesses has collapsed as residents uncertain about their future in Jordan save money and only buy necessities.
Since Turkish-backed factions took control of northern Aleppo at the start of December, more than 70,000 displaced people have returned to Afrin and its countryside, while others fled to northeastern Syria fearing abuses.
Elation at the hope of returning home after Assad fell turned to shock for displaced Homs residents who found massive destruction and nonexistent services in areas they fled. Many turned back to northwestern Syria, waiting for reconstruction.
People displaced from Afrin to Aleppo city’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods bury their loved ones in wooden coffins rather than traditional shrouds, hoping to bring them home one day, even after death.
One year after the February 6 earthquake, tens of thousands of Syrian survivors are still homeless, without enough support to repair and rebuild their homes. Aid workers stress the importance of early recovery to facilitate returns and provide livelihoods.
Refugees in Lebanon who signed up to return to Syria as part of a first batch of 1,600 families say economic hardship and a lack of a future in Lebanon informed their decision.
Turkey plans to build 250,000 concrete housing units in northern Syria as it eyes the “voluntary return” of one million refugees. But more than housing stands in the way of returns.
Hundreds of Syrian refugees in Denmark have had their lives upended by the Danish policy of revoking their residency permits after deeming parts of Syria safe to return to.
