Syrian refugees wait at the Turkish Cilvegözü border post, awaiting entry into Syria, on Dec. 9, 2024. (Credit: Ozan Köse/AFP)
After nearly 14 years of conflict in Syria, the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec. 8, 2024, marked a turning point for the country and the region, paving the way for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees — the world's largest refugee population from 2014 to 2020, according to the U.N. and still so in 2024 according to the World Bank.The two main host countries, Turkey and Lebanon, are particularly impacted by this return trend. Tracking populations on the move is complicated: it is difficult to record points of departure and arrival accurately, or to distinguish between temporary passage and permanent settlement.Depending on the methodology employed, figures on refugee returns released by different sources — the U.N., the International Organization for Migration (IOM), or local authorities — may be...
After nearly 14 years of conflict in Syria, the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec. 8, 2024, marked a turning point for the country and the region, paving the way for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees — the world's largest refugee population from 2014 to 2020, according to the U.N. and still so in 2024 according to the World Bank.The two main host countries, Turkey and Lebanon, are particularly impacted by this return trend. Tracking populations on the move is complicated: it is difficult to record points of departure and arrival accurately, or to distinguish between temporary passage and permanent settlement.Depending on the methodology employed, figures on refugee returns released by different sources — the U.N., the International Organization for Migration (IOM), or local authorities — may be...
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