Called “the worlds largest displacement crisis” by UNHCR, more than a million Syrians want to return to their areas of origin. Adequate housing, employment and basic services are challenges facing them if they go back.

More than 300,000 Syrian refugees have returned to Syria, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Speaking at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on Friday, spokesperson Celine Schmitt described Syria as “the world’s largest displacement crisis” and emphasized that many who fled the war are eager to return home.

Her comments come a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that 133,000 Syrians living in Turkey had moved back to Syria.

Turkey is home to nearly three million refugees who fled Syria after the civil war began in 2011. 

The return of refugees follows the overthrow of President Bashar Assad in December 2024 after a rebel offensive ended his family’s decadeslong rule in Syria.

Internally displaced Syrians also plan to return

A new UNHCR survey found that up to one million internally displaced people (IDPs) in camps and displacement sites in northwest Syria intend to return to their areas of origin within the next year.

Around 600,000 are expected to return within the next six months. The survey, conducted from January 26 to February 23, included responses from over 29,000 individuals.

While many expressed a strong desire to return, the survey highlighted significant obstacles, including limited humanitarian aid, employment opportunities, and access to basic services.

Housing remains the biggest challenge, with 80% of Syrian respondents reporting their homes had been severely damaged or destroyed.