Latest news with #returnHome
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Two million Syrians return home since al-Assad's fall: UN
Over two million Syrians who had fled their homes during their country's war have returned since Bashar al-Assad's overthrow in December, UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi said Thursday during a regional visit. The Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011 with al-Assad's brutal repression of anti-government protests, displaced half of the population internally or abroad. But al-Assad's December 8 ouster at the hands of anti-government forces sparked hopes of return. 'Over two million Syrian refugees and displaced have returned home since December,' Grandi wrote on X during a visit to neighboring Lebanon, which hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, according to official estimates. It is 'a sign of hope amid rising regional tensions,' said Grandi, who is due to visit Syria on Friday. 'This proves that we need political solutions -- not another wave of instability and displacement.' After 14 years of war, many returnees face the reality of finding their homes and property badly damaged or destroyed. But with the recent lifting of Western sanctions on Syria, the new authorities hope for international support to launch reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion. In his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Grandi discussed 'how to increase opportunities for Syrian refugees to return home,' the top UN official said in post on X. 'Many refugees have already made that choice. But for returns to be sustainable, Syria needs more and faster international support,' he added. Aoun, according to a presidency statement, stressed it was necessary for Syrian refugees to return 'to their homeland, after the reasons for their displacement are gone'. The Lebanese government has drafted a plan for the gradual return of refugees to Syria, expecting to see up to 300,000 of them return home by September, according to Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri in an interview earlier this month. The plan, according to Mitri, would involve granting each refugee $100 upon their departure -- when they would also have to pledge to not return to Lebanon as refugees -- and exempting Syrians whose documents had expired from any fines. Earlier this month, Grandi's agency, UNHCR, estimated that by the end of 2025, up to 1.5 million Syrians may return home from abroad as well as some two million internally displaced people.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Two million Syrians returned home since Assad's fall: UN
Over two million Syrians who had fled their homes during their country's war have returned since the ouster of Bashar Al Assad, UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi said on Thursday, ahead of a visit to Syria. The Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011 with Assad's brutal repression of anti-government protests, displaced half of the population internally or abroad. But Assad's December 8 ouster at the hands of Islamist forces sparked hopes of return. "Over two million Syrian refugees and displaced have returned home since December," Grandi wrote on X during a visit to neighbouring Lebanon, which hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, according to official estimates. It is "a sign of hope amid rising regional tensions," he said. "This proves that we need political solutions — not another wave of instability and displacement." After 14 years of war, many returnees face the reality of finding their homes and property badly damaged or destroyed. But with the recent lifting of Western sanctions on Syria, new authorities hope for international support to launch reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion. Earlier this month, UNHCR estimated that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million internally displaced persons may return by the end of 2025.
LBCI
6 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Lebanese stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh urge authorities to help them return home
Around 600 Lebanese citizens stuck in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh are calling on Lebanon's president and government to intervene and coordinate with Egyptian authorities to facilitate their return to Lebanon after civil aviation to Beirut was suspended due to the military confrontation between Iran and Israel. The stranded group, which includes families with children, women, and elderly people, says they are facing increasingly difficult conditions, with many running out of money and baby formula. They urged swift action to end their ordeal and worsening situation.
The National
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Half a million Syrians returned home since fall of Assad regime, UN says
More than half a million Syrians displaced across the Middle East have returned home since the fall of former president Bashar Al Assad's regime six months ago, the UN's refugee agency said on Thursday. Since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, millions of Syrians were forced to flee their homes to other parts of the country or across the border in search of safety. Those that have returned since December have mostly come from neighbouring countries, said the UNHCR in its Global Trends 2024 report. At least six million Syrians have sought refuge in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt over the past decade. The report said 'a similar trend is observed among internally displaced Syrians. In total, an estimated 1.3 million Syrians have returned to their areas of origin since late November 2024.' Since the overthrow of the Assad regime in December, a large number of Syrians living in neighbouring countries are willing to return home, a stark increase compared to when Mr Al Assad was still in power. It is estimated that 1.5 million displaced Syrians are expected to return to their home towns by the end of 2025, according to the report. Nearly 700,000 will return by the end of this year from Turkey, which is hosting 3.2 million Syrians - more than any other country. Another 400,000 are expected to return from Lebanon, along with 200,000 from Jordan and 25,000 from Egypt, said the report in its yearly forecast. Lebanon is the country hosting the second-largest number of Syrian refugees, with about 774,000 registered. When including unregistered people, the total rises to an estimated 1.5 million. The UNHCR has previously reported that, as of 2024, at least 7.4 million Syrians remain internally displaced, with approximately 4.9 million seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. An additional 1.3 million have resettled elsewhere, mostly in Europe. Global displacement By the end of 2024, about 123.2 million people around the world had been forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations, a number described as "a record high". "The total of 123.2 million by the end of 2024 marks an increase of 7 million people (6 per cent) compared to the end of 2023, and more than double the number from a decade ago," said the report. However, the total forced displacement globally has fallen slightly to 122.1 million by the end of April 2025. The Middle East and North Africa has seen an increase in displacements while global numbers showed a slight decline. "Over one-third of the world's forcibly displaced were from Sudan (14.3 million), Syria (13.5 million), Afghanistan (10.3 million), and Ukraine (8.8 million)," said the report.
Arab News
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
A top Taliban official offers amnesty to Afghans who fled the country and urges them to return
A top Taliban official said on Saturday that all Afghans who fled the country after the collapse of the former Western-backed government are free to return home, promising they would not be harmed if they come back. Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund made the amnesty offer in his message for the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha, also known as the 'Feast of Sacrifice.' The offer comes days after US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping travel ban on 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The measure largely bars Afghans hoping to resettle in the United States permanently as well as those hoping to go to the US temporarily, such as for university study. Trump also suspended a core refugee program in January, all but ending support for Afghans who had allied with the US and leaving tens of thousands of them stranded. Afghans in neighboring Pakistan who are awaiting resettlement are also dealing with a deportation drive by the Islamabad government to get them out of the country. Almost a million have left Pakistan since October 2023 to avoid arrest and expulsion. Akhund's holiday message was posted on the social platform X. 'Afghans who have left the country should return to their homeland,' he said. 'Nobody will harm them.' 'Come back to your ancestral land and live in an atmosphere of peace,' he added, and instructed officials to properly manage services for returning refugees and to ensure they were given shelter and support. He also used the occasion to criticize the media for making what he said were 'false judgments' about Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and their policies. 'We must not allow the torch of the Islamic system to be extinguished,' he said. 'The media should avoid false judgments and should not minimize the accomplishments of the system. While challenges exist, we must remain vigilant.' The Taliban swept into the capital Kabul and seized most of Afghanistan in a blitz in mid-August 2021 as the US and NATO forces were in the last weeks of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war. The offensive prompted a mass exodus, with tens of thousands of Afghans thronging the airport in chaotic scenes, hoping for a flight out on the US military airlift. People also fled across the border, to neighboring Iran and Pakistan. Among those escaping the new Taliban rulers were also former government officials, journalists, activists, those who had helped the US during its campaign against the Taliban.
