"Come back," said Syrian interim prime minister Mohammed al-Bashir, as he appealed to all Syrians abroad to return home. For the rebel-led government, which toppled the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, bringing back Syrian refugees is a priority. “Their human capital, their experience will allow the country to flourish. Mine is an appeal to all Syrians abroad: Syria is now a free country that has earned its pride and dignity. Come back. We must rebuild, be reborn and we need everyone's help,” Bashir said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera. A significant number of Syrians have been forced to leave their homes ever since the civil war began in 2011. Nearly 14 million Syrians were either displaced internally or fled to other countries. What is the extent of the Syrian refugee crisis? Can Syrians now return home? What have host countries said? We explain. A look at the numbers The data provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (as of December 11, 2024) states that 6.3 million Syrians live as refugees, spread across 130 countries. As many as 7.4 million Syrians have been displaced internally. Over half of the refugees stay in neighbouring Turkey, which has taken in over 3.1 million displaced Syrians. The refugees are also spread across other countries in the region, including Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. Among European countries, Germany has the largest number of Syrian refugees, followed by Austria and Sweden. (see table) According to the UNHCR, only five per cent of Syrians live in refugee camps. However, not many outside are faring much better. Over 70 per cent of the Syrian refugees live in poverty without access to education and employment. Governments deliberate sending Syrian refugees home When rebels forced Assad to flee to Russia on December 8, it meant the civil war had ended. Many European countries began contemplating if they should send the refugees back home. Several host countries have temporarily suspended the granting of asylum to Syrians. These include Germany, Austria, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Belgium and the United Kingdom. In Germany, where there's been an increase in anti-refugee voices ahead of its February federal elections, the case of the Syrian refugees has ignited fierce debate. Conservative and right-wing groups have suggested incentives to nudge Syrians to return home, while others have advocated caution. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, in a post on X, said that the situation in Syria was "currently very confusing" and hence, it would be "unprofessional to speculate" about the return of refugees in "such a volatile situation". Differing from this view, a senior Opposition figure, Jens Spahn, said the government could offer them EUR 1,000 and free flights to leave. Bavaria's premier Markus Söder commented that with the change in Syria's situation, "the reason for asylum effectively ceases to exist, then there's no legal reason to stay in the country." Austria has suspended family reunification, under which refugees' families can join them. In a statement, the Interior Ministry said it will "prepare a programme of orderly repatriation and deportation to Syria". Chancellor Karl Nehammer, a hardliner on immigration, posted on X, "Austria will support all Syrians who want to return home. The new rulers in Syria are called upon to quickly establish stable conditions to accept returnees and enable repatriations from Austria." The pressing need to send refugees home isn't new. Earlier this year, seven EU countries (Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece, Croatia and Cyprus) wrote a joint letter suggesting that the EU review its policy towards Assad's Syria to improve the humanitarian situation and help return migrants to certain regions of the country. Can Syrians return home? Syrians have long lived in a state of exile. Many remain asylum seekers, yet to be granted refugee status. With the rebel government now in power, thousands of Syrian refugees have reportedly returned. However, there's no official count yet. Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah reported the government has opened the border crossing to facilitate Syrians wanting to return home. Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya noted that the number of people returning to Syria has almost doubled. The government, consequently, has also increased the capacity of border crossings to process returnees to "up to 20,000 people daily." Others have opted to wait and watch the developments in Syria. Years of conflict have ravaged the country. The interim government is staring at nearly empty coffers and huge debts. It will take time and money to rebuild the country and ensure access to basic necessities for all citizens. "Syrians cannot live in the precariousness of essential services such as electricity, bread, water. We are a transitional government, but we must start working on it," Bashir told Corriere della Sera. Why some are rushing the other way Reports suggest that many Syrians, wary of the change in power, are queuing up to flee the country, especially at the Lebanese border. Many people who had fled from Lebanon into Syria in the light of recent developments in Hezbollah's fight with Israel, too, are looking to go back. Uncertainty remains over stability in Syria, given that the interim government will stay in power till only March next year. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the rebel groups' assault against the Assad regime, was quick to prop up Bashir as the interim prime minister, looking to cement its power. However, the HTS, which once had links to Al Qaeda, isn't popular among all sections of Syria. In his brief address on Tuesday, Bashir stood next to two flags. One, a green, white, and black flag, which replaces Syria's flag under Assad's regime, and the second bearing the Islamic shahada, associated with Sunni Islamist groups. The photo received flak from activists who claimed it could hint at a future with no space for religious minorities. Bashir, however, maintained that the new government will "guarantee the rights of all people and all sects in Syria". According to a Reuters report, the United States has hinted that it will not support a government backed by HTS without a formal process to select leaders. Moreover, Syria must address the increasing threat from Israel, which has conducted nearly 500 strikes ever since the fall of the Assad government. The Israeli military also advanced into the buffer zone at the border between the two countries. Given the precarious situation, the UNHCR has warned that Syrian refugees must be allowed to make an informed decision about returning home. "All returns must be voluntary, dignified and safe," the refugee agency emphasised. It also stated that Syrians should be allowed to lodge asylum applications and "no asylum-seeker should be forcibly returned".
