Millions of Syrian refugees celebrate, gear up to return to homeland

Millions of Syrian refugees in various countries are ecstatic as they prepare to return to their homeland after the fall of Assad’s regime following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad by rebels.

The rebels have seized control of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Syrian capital Damascus after toppling Assad’s government. Their commander Hasan Abdul Ghani urged Syrian refugees to return home. “To the displaced all over the world, free Syria awaits you,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday (December 8).

End of 54-year rule

After the rebels captured Damascus, Assad fled the country, ending his family’s almost 54-year rule of Syria that began under his father Hafez al-Assad in 1971 when he seized power in a military coup.

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In 2011, a peaceful uprising turned into a full-scale war in Syria and since then millions of Syrians have been internally displaced and millions of refugees are primarily hosted in the neighbouring countries of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkiye (formerly Turkey).

Now, millions of those Syrian refugees are ready to return to their homeland. At the Masnaa border crossing (international border crossing between Lebanon and Syria), hundreds of refugees were heading towards Syria on Sunday. At least 1,500 Syrians who lived in Lebanon have reportedly left, a report in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya TV said.

6.2 million Syrian refugees

According to the November 2024 report ‘Syria – Global Appeal 2025 situation overview’ by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Syria situation remains one of the largest displacement crises in the world, with a 2025 projection of 7.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs), and 6.2 million refugees.

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As per UNHCR, there were 5.7 million Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in 2021, 5.4 million in 2022, 5.1 million in 2023, 5.2 million in 2024, and the estimate for 2025 is 6.2 million. However, the numbers could significantly come down with the situation improving now.

Syrian refugees represent the refugee population with the highest global resettlement needs; close to 9.33 lakh Syrians are projected to be in need of resettlement, according to UNHRC.

The report added that the crisis in Lebanon forced Syrian refugees to return to their country and over 3 lakh were estimated to have come back as of October 28, 2024, and the figures for the first eight months of 2024 was 34,000.

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“The crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic is extending into its fourteenth year – with more people than ever sliding into deeper poverty and 16.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection,” UNHRC said in its report.

What UN report says on refugees returning

“Spontaneous returns to Syria are expected to continue throughout 2025. In the first eight months of 2024, UNHCR verified over the return of over 34,000 Syrian refugees, although the actual figure may be significantly higher. The Lebanon crisis and subsequent influx into Syria in late September 2024 created a very dynamic situation, with an estimated 320,000 Syrian refugees returning to Syria under adverse circumstances as of 28 October 2024,” UNHRC added.

In UNHCR’s ninth return perceptions and intentions survey (RPIS) among Syrian refugees in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, which was published in mid-2024 (prior to the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon), a majority (57%) indicated they hoped to return to Syria one day and more than one third (37%) hoped to return in the next five years, reflecting an increase in the medium-term aspiration to return compared with the last survey conducted in 2023 (25%).

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There are nearly 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, over 1 million in Germany, and more than 1.5 million in Lebanon.

Syrian refugees celebrate across the world

Celebrations by Syrian refugees were witnessed in Turkiye, Germany, Britain, and other countries.

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said he would like to see Syrian refugees in Turkiye to return home.

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“We would like Syrian refugees to return to their homeland”, yet “caution should be exercised against provocations by some terrorist groups in order to prevent their voluntary return”, he was quoted as saying by Turkiye Today website.

“Millions of Syrians who were forced to leave their country can now return. The new administration needs to be set up in an orderly manner,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.

In Turkiye capital Istanbul, Syrian refugees gathered to celebrate. Zeina Shallaf, Syrian Opposition supporter, told France24 TV channel, “I have been here for 13 years. I studied and worked here. My children were born here. Today, both me and my children are happy. We will return to our homes; we have a homeland now.”

Similar scenes were witnessed in Germany. Ahmed, a Berlin resident, told the channel, “This has the same meaning as the fall of the Berlin Wall. This is freedom for us. We thank Germany for what it did for the Syrian people.”

Another man said, “What we have learnt is that no one can win against their own people.”

‘Freedom of Syria’

In Manchester, England, many hailed the “freedom of Syria”.

Amneh Khoulani told Sky News, “I never imagined that we will arrive at this stage. For the freedom of Syria, we have paid a huge, huge price.”

Yasmin said, “I am ecstatic. It is an indescribable joy to see your country of origin to be liberated without any bloodshed, without any destruction, without any division. It is a historic moment for all Syrians.”

Another Syrian, who was part of the celebrations in Manchester, said, “I am very, very happy. I am looking forward to the first flight to Syria from here to go back.”

At London’s Trafalgar Square, Ibrahim Tolaymat, who brought his teenage children to celebrate, told Telegraph that he was “over the moon” at the fall of Assad, describing the news as “a miracle”. He said he was looking forward to returning home. “I’m from Homs. I left Syria 11 years ago. It was very bad when I left. My children were really tiny when we left so they are really looking forward to just seeing what Syria looks like.”

Aisha Ekrayem told the publication, “It’s a dream! We can’t believe it. We can all go back now. Many people have not been back for 40 years or more.”

Read UNHCR's ‘Syria – Global Appeal 2025 situation overview’ report below