Geneva, May 7 (SANA) Around 900 Syrian refugees have returned from Iraq to Syria since the beginning of 2026, the United Nations refugee agency said Wednesday, adding that returns remain voluntary and ongoing.
In a statement posted on X, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said returning refugees are receiving individual counseling to ensure decisions to return are made voluntarily and with full awareness. The agency said the process is aimed at helping returnees rebuild their lives in Syria.
UNHCR said around 6,100 Syrian refugees returned from Iraq during 2025 as part of continued efforts to facilitate safe and dignified voluntary returns.
Refugee return movements from neighboring countries have accelerated since the fall of the deposed regime on Dec. 8, 2024.
Earlier this year, UNHCR spokesperson in Syria Celine Schmitt said growing numbers of Syrian refugees were expressing a willingness to return home, noting that around 1.4 million refugees and nearly 2 million internally displaced Syrians had returned to their areas.
N,J/ABD
