Syrian refugees deserve a safe country to return to

Getty / Nick Donaldson

On December 8, the end of Bashar Al Assad’s government marked the beginning of a new, potentially more hopeful chapter for Syria. More than 13 years of brutal conflict has resulted in the displacement of about 6.5 million refugees, with the vast majority hosted in the region or further afield in Europe. As we enter 2025, and with a new caretaker government in place, many of those who fled overseas are now asking whether it is finally safe to return home.

Yet Syrians, both within the country and in neighbouring states such as Lebanon, continue to face a dire humanitarian crisis. In Syria, more than two thirds of the population — 16.7 million people — are still in desperate need of assistance. Imagine living in a place where 90 per cent of your community struggles below the poverty line, making everyday survival a constant challenge.

For almost 13 million Syrians living in the country, the fear of not knowing where their next meal will come from remains a daily reality, casting a shadow of uncertainty over their lives. The situation is even more devastating for the youngest members of society, with more than 100,000 children below the age of five at risk of dying from malnutrition.

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Continued crisis, coupled with ongoing political uncertainty, make clear that there is a long road ahead to ensuring Syria is safe, and that conditions on the ground are genuinely conducive for large numbers to choose to return.

This reality was evident when I met Syrian refugees in Lebanon last month. My organisation, the International Rescue Committee, has worked for more than a decade in Lebanon, where we help both refugees and Lebanese civilians in need to access essential services such as education, health care and protection.

In the Bekaa Valley, I met Syrian refugees who have spent more than a decade living in informal tented settlements, eking out a living through agricultural work coupled with dwindling humanitarian support. Several of those I spoke to shared their hopes of being able to return one day, and for a more stable and peaceful future. Yet many also expressed deep anxieties.

Anwar, a Syrian refugee who lives with his wife and three children in an informal settlement in Bekaa, told me: “We are still concerned about the future of Syria. I can’t say if it’s safe to go back yet. We would like to return, but we still don’t know when, as we lost our home and need to rebuild it.”

Governments must also recognise that although every refugee has the right to return to their country of origin, this should be a voluntary and informed choice

Addressing the humanitarian crisis and ensuring an inclusive, sustainable political transition are also essential for the more than seven million people internally displaced across the country. Conflict and infrastructural destruction have left entire towns and neighbourhoods destroyed, and basic services at breaking point. Hundreds of thousands have been newly displaced by the latest fighting and bombardments.

In the north-east, conflict continues to result in civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, driving humanitarian needs but affecting the ability of aid organisations to reach vulnerable communities. This ongoing insecurity and political uncertainty mean that Syria remains in the top five countries on the IRC’s annual watchlist report, which identifies nations most at risk of new or worsening humanitarian crises.

Given these current dynamics, UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, recently emphasised that they are not currently promoting large-scale voluntary repatriation to Syria. To this end, it is critical that host states uphold the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers, and the legal right against their forced return to an unsafe country.

The international community must also ensure that neighbouring countries receive direly needed support to continue to host refugees — support that has faded substantially in recent years. In Lebanon, Syrians and Lebanese alike are facing widespread poverty and the devastating effects of more than a year of conflict; this is compounded by a severe economic crisis that has been going on for several years. Increased support is now essential.

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  Panic at a Beirut hospital after thousands, including Hezbollah fighters and medics, were injured when the pagers they used to communicate exploded across Lebanon. Several people were killed. Reuters

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  Mourners in Beirut's southern suburbs carry the coffins of people killed after hundreds of paging devices exploded, in a mass funeral on September 18, 2024. AFP

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  A man stands on the rubble of buildings near the site of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 29, 2024. AP

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  Workers drape a building in a vast banner depicting Nasrallah in Tehran, two days after his assassination by Israeli forces in Beirut. Getty Images

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  Israeli soldiers work on tanks at a staging post near the border with Lebanon on October 1, 2024. AP

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  Israeli soldiers rest in an operation zone near Naqoura, southern Lebanon on October 13, 2024, after a ground invasion was launched. Getty Images

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  People take cover by a roadside in Tel Aviv as a siren sounds after Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel. Reuters

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  Iranian-launched projectiles being intercepted by Israel above Jerusalem on October 1, 2024. AFP

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  The aftermath of a rocket salvo in Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, on November 24, 2024. Hezbollah said it launched the missiles from Lebanon at an Israeli army intelligence base. AFP

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  Residents in Petah Tikva check the damage after the rockets were fired from Lebanon. AFP

Governments must also recognise that although every refugee has the right to return to their country of origin, this should be a voluntary and informed choice. Ultimately, the decision must remain in the hands of refugees themselves. With refugees having made significant contributions to local economies and societies, host governments should carefully evaluate how to ensure these contributions are not lost.

There is now a strong sense of hope for a what comes next in Syria. But meaningful international support is needed to ensure a peaceful transition that includes all voices, especially civil society groups and marginalised communities.

Already humanitarian and early recovery efforts are expanding, with Syrian organisations and international partners, including the IRC, stepping up their work in areas that were previously unreachable. But to truly address Syria’s dire humanitarian needs, donors must significantly increase their financial support, which has for many years fallen far short of what’s needed.

After 13 years of conflict and crisis, Syrians finally have a chance for peace — and for millions of those displaced there is a renewed hope of one day returning to their previous homes. But we must not forget that the road ahead remains long and that in Syria, and neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, humanitarian needs are as pressing as ever.