Damascus, June 20 (SANA) Syria recorded one of the largest refugee return movements worldwide in 2025, according to the latest figures released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as global forced displacement declined for the first time in more than a decade.
A UNHCR report issued on June 11 said around 1.3 million Syrians returned from abroad during 2025, contributing to a decline in the number of registered Syrian refugees around the world compared with previous years.
The report said the number of Syrian returnees was nearly three times higher than in 2024, following developments after the fall of the ousted regime on December 8, 2024, which opened the way for millions of Syrians to return home after more than a decade of displacement and exile.
Syria was part of a broader global trend that saw approximately 14.7 million refugees and internally displaced people return to their places of origin in 2025, an increase by 50% from the previous year and the second-highest annual figure recorded since 1965, according to the report.
UNHCR said Syria was among six countries accounting for most refugee and displacement returns worldwide, alongside Afghanistan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine and Myanmar.
The report noted that the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide declined in 2025 for the first time in more than a decade, reflecting rising numbers of people returning to their home countries despite ongoing crises and conflicts in several regions.
Globally, the number of refugees and people in refugee-like situations stood at 41.6 million, including around six million Palestinian refugees, while 5.4 million people were newly displaced during the past year due to conflict and persecution.
Official efforts to support returns
At the national level, the Syrian state has reaffirmed its commitment to creating suitable conditions for the return of refugees and internally displaced persons through infrastructure rehabilitation programmes and improvements to essential services in affected areas, in cooperation with the United Nations and international organizations.
As part of those efforts, President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued Decree No. 59 of 2026 establishing an expanded committee tasked with rehabilitating infrastructure in affected areas, with the aim of facilitating the return of displaced people and refugees and addressing logistical and service-related challenges.
Challenges remain
Despite the increase in returns and ongoing rehabilitation efforts, many returnees continue to face challenges linked to reconstruction, access to basic services, employment opportunities and stability in some areas, reflecting the legacy of years of destruction.
UN vision for durable solutions
UNHCR said it aims to halve the number of refugees living in protracted displacement situations by 2035 through support for education and employment opportunities and by promoting safe, voluntary and sustainable returns to countries of origin.
World Refugee Day, observed annually on June 20, highlights the plight of millions of people forced to flee their homes because of war and crises and underscores the importance of supporting them in rebuilding their lives and achieving stability within their communities.
Iman Alzuheiri /MZ
