UN Expects One Million Syrian Refugees Return in First Half of 2025

UN Expects One Million Syrian Refugees Return in First Half of 2025
UNHCR's Position Against Forced Return Shows Concern for Ensuring Refugees' Safety and Right to Assess Conditions Before Deciding Return
December 17, 2024, 6:13 pm

اللاجئين في أوروبا \ تعبيرية \ متداولة

United Nations presented expectations of possible return of about one million Syrian refugees to homes during first half of 2025, following recent political changes.

Rima Gamous Imseis, UNHCR Middle East and North Africa Bureau Director, revealed during Geneva press meeting "expectations seeing about million Syrians returning between January and June next year."

UN official urged host countries to avoid "forced return" of millions of Syrians displaced from war-torn homeland, coinciding with European countries' moves suspending Syrian asylum applications amid anti-immigration parties' demands for Syria deportation.

Gamous Imseis addressed governments suspending asylum procedures saying: "What we're telling governments suspending asylum procedures is to continue respecting right accessing territories for asylum application, but also give us, and Syrian refugees, time assessing whether return is safe."

UNHCR managed deploying teams at borders monitoring returnees and departures movement, amid new authorities' inability performing this task. Counter-flow phenomenon emerged, with thousands of returnees coinciding with new groups' departure, especially minorities and former regime members.

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