One million Syrians may return in 2026, UNHCR says
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- UNHCR says more than three million Syrians have returned home since December 2024.
- Lifting US sanctions is seen as critical to accelerating recovery and reconstruction.
The UN refugee agency expects around one million Syrian refugees to return to their country in 2026, citing gradual recovery following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.
Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Syria, told Anadolu Agency that about 1.3 million Syrian refugees have already returned since December 2024. He added that nearly two million internally displaced people have also gone back to their original areas.
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Taken together, more than three million Syrians have returned in a relatively short period to a country battered by years of war, economic collapse, and damaged infrastructure, he said.
Fear fades, hope rises
Vargas Llosa said he was in Syria only months before the former government fell and witnessed the political transition firsthand.
“The fear that once dominated Syrian society receded quickly”, he said, describing a widespread sense of hope taking its place.
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He recalled traveling with his team to the Lebanese border on December nine, 2024, where they saw thousands of Syrians returning spontaneously after more than 14 years of forced displacement.
Sanctions relief seen as key
Vargas Llosa said lifting sanctions would be a turning point, opening the door to large-scale private-sector investment needed for reconstruction and development.
He said UNHCR and its partners are providing direct support to returnees, particularly in helping them recover official documents. More than a quarter of those returning lack basic papers such as national IDs or property deeds.
Last Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 at the White House. The law includes a provision repealing sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act, formally ending those measures.
Official reaction
Syria’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the move in a statement issued Friday, saying the lifting of Caesar Act sanctions removes restrictions that had affected nearly all aspects of daily life and the broader economy.
UNHCR officials say the pace of returns in 2026 will depend on security, jobs, and the speed of reconstruction, but the agency believes the conditions for large-scale voluntary return are now taking shape.
