Syria government needs extensive support for returning refugees, aid agencies say

Aid groups have said that the Syrian government needs international support to maintain stability and support tens of thousands of Syrians returning to their homes after years in exile.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) on Thursday called for long-term, sustained support for Syria, as the country struggles to cope with the return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

A report from the NRC said that without significant and sustained international support for Syria's economic and political reconstruction, refugee returns could hinder the country's capacity to recover from 13 years of war.

Millions of Syrians fled the country starting in 2011, when regime forces launched a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011, resulting in the outbreak of the Syrian conflict.

Many of these Syrians still live in refugee camps or squalid conditions in neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan with little hope of a better life in the future, but the fall of the Assad regime has provided some of them an opportunity for them to return home and make a new start, despite poor economic conditions in Syria.

Using 4,300 interviews conducted from December 2024 - when the Assad regime was toppled - to February 2025, the NRC identified six barriers to refugee return.

These include destroyed infrastructure and deficient basic services, disrupted education, economic collapse and insecurity, housing, land and property challenges, and safety and social cohesion concerns.

For instance, 40 percent of those surveyed by the NRC said they had no access to adequate shelter, while a lack of legal documentation and duplicate property claims risk exacerbating social tensions.

The majority of respondents reported either limited or no access to basic services, including education, hospitals, sanitation, and electricity.

Julie Phipps, the country director for NRC's Syria Response Office, said Syria had "a critical window of opportunity to turn this around", but warning that without help, Syrians "will face more tensions that could destabilise their communities and undermine any chances of long-term recovery".

Following the overthrow of the Assad regime in December 2024, the security situation in Syria has remained volatile.

Sectarian violence on the Syrian coast in March resulted in the deaths of at least 803 people, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, mostly members of the Alawite minority.

In April, clashes erupted between pro-government militias and Druze fighters in several Damascus suburbs and around Suweida, killing at least 36 people.

The UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday that 1.19 million IDPs had returned to their homes by March 2025, as well as 680,088 Syrians from abroad.

The IOM also highlighted several challenges that were inhibiting the return of IDPs and refugees to the country, interviewing 3,492 people across 1,100 communities between March and April who had returned to Syria.

Of the five indices used to assess Syria's situation, the least prominent barrier for returns was safety and security, although the proliferation of petty crime and landmines was highlighted. 30 percent of respondents said they felt unsafe at night in Syria, and of these 67 percent said there were tensions between population groups.

Humanitarian factors presented the biggest barriers for returnees, with the report highlighting Syria’s standard of living and the state of housing, land and property as obstacles to return.

Another major obstacle preventing returns was a lack of access to civil documentation, which is essential to access basic services, housing, and participation in social life, as well as access to economic opportunities.

Of those interviewed, 94 percent said that worsening economic conditions were another crucial barrier to their return, while 73 percent cited unemployment.

"Syrians are resilient and innovative, but they need significant help to rebuild their communities and their lives," IOM Director General Amy Pope said.

"Enabling Syrians to return to a country that is on the path to stability and progress is critical for the country's future."

The NRC report came amid fast-moving changes in Syria, with attempts by the new government to integrate into the international order bearing some fruit, particularly after US President Donald Trump announced the removal of sanctions on Syria on Wednesday, a move met by widespread celebrations in the country.

The UN's Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, welcomed the sanctions relief, noting it was "crucial to enabling the delivery of essential services, including health and education, reviving the Syrian economy, unlocking meaningful support from the region, and enabling many Syrians to contribute actively to a national effort to rebuild the country".