850,000 Syrian refugees return home from neighboring countries

Since December 2024, approximately 850,000 Syrian refugees have returned home, following the fall of Bashar Assad's government and the collapse of the dictatorship in Syria. These returns are part of a broader trend, as around 1.7 million internally displaced individuals have also gone back to their original communities in the country. The long-lasting conflict in Syria, which began in March 2011 and has resulted in nearly half a million deaths and the displacement of half the country’s pre-war population, has seen more than five million Syrians flee as refugees to neighboring nations. The current refugee returns signify a potential shift towards stability, albeit amid ongoing ethnic and sectarian violence in certain areas. Many refugees are returning now due to the perceived opportunities for a better future, while others remain cautious, choosing to wait before making definitive decisions about their return, given the precarious nature of the situation in various regions of Syria.