One year after the overthrow of the regime. Massive returns of refugees to Syria

In the year since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, 578,000 people have returned to their homeland. Syrians staying in Turkey – announced Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. In Syria, on December 8, the first anniversary of the overthrow of the al-Assad regime was celebrated.

“A year ago, Syria regained its freedom. The oppression in Syria has entered the dark pages of history. After December 8 (2024), voluntary returns accelerated. Now we no longer hear about separation, pain and tears. We hear about our Syrian brothers and sisters who have united with their homeland, their land and their relatives,” Yerlikaya wrote on X.

It is estimated that As a result of the civil war in Syria that started in 2011, over 3.5 million Syrians emigrated to Turkeymaking it the country hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees.

“After December 8, 2024, 578,000 Syrians returned from our country to Syria voluntarily, safely and honorably. Between 2016 and 2025, a total of over 1.3 million of our brothers and sisters returned to Syria voluntarily. We carry out these procedures (…) with the utmost sensitivity and scrupulousness, under the supervision of the Migration Management Directorate and in cooperation with all relevant institutions,” added the head of the Turkish Ministry of Interior.

Yerlikaya noted that Syrians who “have learned Turkish and established strong ties with our society (…) will maintain this bridge of friendship as voluntary ambassadors between the people of Turkey and Syria.”

On Monday, Syria celebrated the anniversary of the fall of the al-Assad regime, which fled to Russia after several weeks of rapid offensive by anti-government Islamic fighters. The leader of the rebels was the current interim president of Syria, Ahmed al-Shara.

The Assad family, part of Syria's Alawite minority, ruled Syria for 54 years. The civil war in Syria that started in 2011 has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Millions had to leave their homes, approximately 5 million fled to neighboring countries. On Monday, the UN reported that approximately 1.2 million refugees and 1.9 million internally displaced people had returned home after Assad's overthrow.

Jakub Bawołek (PAP)

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