What does Assad’s downfall mean for the millions of Syrians displaced by war?

Syrian Kurdish families in Afrin region return to their villages on Dec. 5, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 11 December 2024
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What does Assad’s downfall mean for the millions of Syrians displaced by war?

  • Jubilant after the fall of Assad, many displaced Syrians are eager to return home, despite destruction and political instability
  • UN refugee chief calls for ‘patience and vigilance’ as governments suspend Syrian asylum claims and consider deportations

LONDON: Although Syria remains in a precarious state just days after the fall of the regime of Bashar Assad, hundreds of displaced Syrians have flocked to border crossings in Lebanon and Turkiye, eager to return to their homeland after more than 13 grueling years of civil war.

At daybreak on Monday, scores of people gathered at the Cilvegozu and Oncupinar border gates in southern Turkiye and the Masnaa crossing in Lebanon, confident for the first time in years that they would not face arrest or conscription when they reached the other side.

On Sunday, in a historic moment for the Middle East, a coalition of armed opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham seized Damascus. Now a refugee himself, Assad fled the country and sought asylum in Russia, marking an inglorious end of his family’s brutal 54-year rule.

Syrians displaced across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and further afield by the years of fighting and persecution in their home country poured into the streets in celebration, jubilant that the uprising that began in 2011 had finally succeeded in dislodging Assad.




An aerial view shows long vehicle queues have formed on the roads leading to and from Damascus on December 8, 2024. (Getty Images)

Syria remains the world’s largest refugee crisis. Since the outbreak of civil war in 2011 following the regime’s brutal suppression of anti-government protests, the UN says more than 14 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes.

While the majority sought refuge in other parts of Syria, including areas outside the regime’s control, others fled to neighboring countries — primarily Turkiye and Lebanon, but also Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq. Many more risked the perilous Mediterranean crossing to Europe.

Some 7.2 million Syrians remain internally displaced, where 70 percent of the population is deemed to require humanitarian assistance and where 90 percent live below the poverty line, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

More than 5 million Syrian refugees live in the five neighboring countries — Turkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Turkiye alone hosts around 3.2 million registered with the UNHCR, while Lebanon hosts at least 830,000.

Karam Shaar, a senior fellow at the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, a nonpartisan Washington think tank, believes the first Syrians to return are likely “the most vulnerable,” such as those in Lebanon and in Turkiye, who have endured poverty and mounting hostility.

“In general, because of the situation in Lebanon and Turkiye being so bad, I think these people would be the most likely to come back,” Shaar told Arab News. “Many of them would be willing to go back to the rubble of their houses as long as Assad is not there because it just can’t get any worse.”

In Lebanon, anti-Syrian sentiment has grown significantly since the country was plunged into a debilitating economic crisis in 2019. There have even been cases of violence against members of the community and their property.

In April, Syrians were attacked and publicly humiliated in the streets of Byblos after a senior Lebanese Forces official, Pascal Suleiman, was reportedly killed by a Syrian gang during a botched carjacking.




On Monday, scores of people gathered at the Masnaa crossing in Lebanon. (AFP)

Compounding the plight of Syrians, the recent Israeli assault on Lebanon has displaced many families already struggling to survive, forcing them to live on the streets amid reports they have been denied access to municipal shelters.

Even before the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, displaced Syrians were subjected to restrictions on work and access to public services. Some 90 percent of them lived in extreme poverty, according to the UN.

Returning to Syria while Assad remained in power was out of the question for many. Before the regime’s downfall on Sunday, Human Rights Watch warned that Syrians fleeing Lebanon risked repression and persecution upon their return, including “enforced disappearance, torture, and death in detention.”

Indeed, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented at least nine arrests of returnees prior to Oct. 2, most of which were reportedly linked to “mandatory and reserve” military conscription.




Syrian and Lebanese people celebrate the fall of the Syrian regime on December 8, 2024, in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. (AFP)

In Turkiye, Syrians have frequently been scapegoated by politicians. In July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused opposition parties of fueling xenophobia and racism. His remarks came a day after anti-Syrian riots broke out in the Kayseri province after a Syrian refugee there was alleged to have sexually assaulted a 7-year-old Syrian girl.

A similar wave of violence erupted in an Ankara neighborhood in 2021 after a Turkish teenager was stabbed to death by a group of young Syrians. Hundreds of people took to the streets, vandalizing Syrian owned businesses.

Erdogan announced on Monday that Turkiye was opening its Yayladagi border gate with Syria to facilitate the safe and voluntary return of refugees, Reuters reported. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his country would support the return of Syrians to contribute to the reconstruction of the conflict-ravaged country.

“Those with families in Syria are eager to at least pay them a visit,” Marwah Morhly, a Turkiye-based media professional, told Arab News.

“Many are making plans to visit their hometowns with their children, who were born in Turkiye and have never been to Syria or met their relatives in person.”




Children walk in a camp for Syrian refugee in Turkiye set up by Turkish relief agency AFAD in the Islahiye district of Gaziantep on February 15, 2023. (AFP)

However, given the ongoing insecurity and political uncertainty in Syria, and the fact that many Syrians have built lives in Turkiye, the decision to return is not an easy one to make.

Morhly herself is hesitant about visiting, despite longing for her hometown of Damascus. “I can’t take a risk with a young child,” she said, referring to her son. Such a decision would depend on a Syrian-Turkish agreement on the refugee issue, she added.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said “there is a remarkable opportunity” for Syrians “to begin returning home.”

“But with the situation still uncertain, millions of refugees are carefully assessing how safe it is to do so. Some are eager, while others are hesitant,” he added in a statement on Monday.




Syrians in Turkiye celebrate the fall of Assad in Gaziantep, on December 8, 2024. (AFP)

Urging “patience and vigilance,” he expressed hope that refugees would be able to “make informed decisions” based on developments on the ground. Those decisions, he added, would depend on “whether the parties in Syria prioritize law and order.”

He stressed that “a transition that respects the rights, lives, and aspirations of all Syrians — regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political beliefs — is crucial for people to feel safe.”

UNHCR “will monitor developments, engage with refugee communities, and support states in any organized voluntary returns,” he added, pledging to “support Syrians wherever they are.”

Grandi also highlighted that “the needs within Syria remain immense,” as more than 13 years of war and economic sanctions had “shattered infrastructure.”




A photo taken from the Lebanese side of the northern border crossing of Al-Arida shows Syrian fighters assisting with the passage of Syrians back into their country on December 10, 2024. (AFP)

In Europe, home to at least 4.5 million Syrian refugees, several countries — including Austria, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Greece, and the UK — announced they had halted Syrian asylum applications just hours after Assad’s fall.

Germany, which is home to the continent’s largest Syrian diaspora, was one of the first European countries to respond.

Nancy Faeser, Germany’s interior minister, said in a statement on Monday that the current “volatile situation” in Syria is the reason her country’s migration authority has paused asylum decisions, leaving thousands of Syrian applicants in limbo.

Austria has gone a step further, announcing plans to deport Syrian migrants. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told Austrian media he has “instructed the ministry to prepare an orderly return and deportation program to Syria.

In The Netherlands, the government said it would stop assessing applications for six months. However, many are concerned it may also begin deportations.




Members of the Syrian community wave Syrian flags as celebrate on December 8, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. (AFP)

Discussions about sending refugees back to Syria amid such uncertainty have left many Syrians anxious about their future. This is particularly concerning for those who have built lives and established roots in their host countries.

Anti-refugee discourse has become increasingly common since the height of the European refugee crisis in 2015, when around 5.2 million people from conflict zones across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East arrived on European shores.

For many governments in Europe, the fall of the Assad regime could offer just the opportunity they were waiting for to show they are addressing public concerns about migration by removing thousands of Syrians.

But until Syria’s security situation stabilizes and its political future under its new de facto leadership becomes clearer, forced returns may be premature — or could even break international laws against refoulement should returnees come to harm.

Indeed, with the country still divided among rival factions, extremist groups like Daesh still at large, infrastructure in ruins, an economy crippled by sanctions, and uncertainty over the political agenda of the victorious HTS, Syria is by no means guaranteed peace and security.

 


Drone strikes target army celebration in central Sudan: witnesses

Updated 3 sec ago
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Drone strikes target army celebration in central Sudan: witnesses

  • Drone strikes targeted the Sudanese town of Tamboul, southeast of the capital Khartoum, on Wednesday during a celebration organized by the army, two witnesses told AFP
PORT SUDAN: Drone strikes targeted the Sudanese town of Tamboul, southeast of the capital Khartoum, on Wednesday during a celebration organized by the army, two witnesses told AFP.
One Tamboul resident said chaos had erupted in the central square where “hundreds of people had gathered” for the ceremony as air defenses responded.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from the strikes, the first in Al-Jazira state in months, and neither the army nor its paramilitary foes issued any comment.
Al-Jazira was Sudan’s pre-war agricultural heartland.
It had been largely calm since the army recaptured it from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in January in the same counteroffensive that saw it retake Khartoum in March.
According to the United Nations, around a million people have returned to their homes in Al-Jazira since January.
Wednesday’s celebration in Tamboul was due to be attended by Abu Aqla Kaykal, the commander of the Sudan Shield Forces, an armed group currently aligned with the regular army which has been accused of atrocities while fighting on both sides of Sudan’s devastating war.
His defection back to the army’s side late last year helped pave the way for its gains of recent months.
Since it began in April 2023, the war between the regular army and the RSF has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes.
The army now controls the center, north and east of Sudan, while the RSF hold nearly all of the west and parts of the south.

Hamas says Israel making ‘aggressive’ incursions into Gaza City

Updated 43 min 19 sec ago
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Hamas says Israel making ‘aggressive’ incursions into Gaza City

  • The Israeli military said Wednesday it had approved the “framework” for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip
  • The Netanyahu government’s plans to expand the Gaza war after more than 22 months of fighting have sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition

JERUSALEM: A Hamas official said Wednesday that Israeli forces were making “aggressive” incursions into Gaza City, after the military approved the framework for a new offensive in the territory.
“The Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out aggressive incursions in Gaza City,” Ismail Al-Thawabta, director general of the Hamas government media office in Gaza, told AFP. “These assaults represent a dangerous escalation aimed at imposing a new reality on the ground by force, through a scorched earth policy and the complete destruction of civilian property.”

The assualt follows the Israeli military's announcement on Wednesday that it had approved the “framework” for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, days after the security cabinet called for the seizure of Gaza City.
Armed forces chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir “approved the main framework for the IDF’s operational plan in the Gaza Strip,” a statement released by the army said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has not provided a precise timetable for when Israeli troops will enter the territory’s largest city, where thousands have taken refuge after fleeing previous offensives.
Gaza’s civil defense agency said Israeli air strikes on Gaza City have intensified in recent days, with the residential neighborhoods of Zeitoun and Sabra hit “with very heavy air strikes targeting civilian homes, possibly including high-rise buildings.”
News of the military’s approval of the plan comes hours after Hamas said a senior delegation had arrived in Cairo for “preliminary talks” with Egyptian officials on a temporary truce.
The Netanyahu government’s plans to expand the Gaza war after more than 22 months of fighting have sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition.
“These assaults represent a dangerous escalation aimed at imposing a new reality on the ground by force, through a scorched earth policy and the complete destruction of civilian property.”
UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in.
Israel’s offensive has killed at least 61,599 Palestinians, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable.


Lebanon president tells Iran security chief he ‘rejects all interference’

Updated 9 min ago
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Lebanon president tells Iran security chief he ‘rejects all interference’

  • Ali Larijani’s trip to Lebanon comes after Iran expressed opposition to a government plan to disarm Hezbollah
  • Larijani met President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, as well as parliament speaker Nabih Berri

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told Iran’s visiting security chief on Wednesday that he rejected any interference in the country’s internal affairs, branding as “unconstructive” Iran’s statements on plans to disarm Hezbollah.
“We reject any interference in our internal affairs,” Aoun said, adding that “it is forbidden for anyone... to bear arms and to use foreign backing as leverage,” Aoun told Ali Larijani, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency posted on X.

Iran’s top security chief vowed in Lebanon on Wednesday that his government would continue to provide support, after the Lebanese government ordered the army to devise a plan to disarm Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Larijani’s trip to Lebanon comes after Iran expressed opposition to a government plan to disarm Hezbollah, which before a war with Israel last year was believed to be better armed than the Lebanese military.
“If... the Lebanese people are suffering, we in Iran will also feel this pain and we will stand by the dear people of Lebanon in all circumstances,” Larijani, the head of the National Security Council, told reporters after landing in Beirut.
Dozens of Hezbollah supporters gathered along the airport road to welcome Larijani. He briefly stepped out of his car to greet them as they chanted slogans of support.
In Lebanon, Larijani met with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, as well as parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who is close to Hezbollah.
Iran has suffered a series of blows in its long-running rivalry with Israel, including during 12 days of open war between the two countries in June.
Hezbollah’s grip on power has slipped since a war with Israel ended in a November 2024 ceasefire and the new Lebanese government, backed by the United States, has moved to further restrain it.
Hezbollah is part of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance” — a network of armed groups in the region, including Hamas in Gaza and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, united in their opposition to Israel.
The ouster in December of Bashar Assad in Syria, which long served as a conduit for weapons deliveries between Iran and Hezbollah, cut off the supply route to Lebanon.


Syrian FM says government to hold perpetrators of violations in Sweida accountable

Updated 14 min 44 sec ago
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Syrian FM says government to hold perpetrators of violations in Sweida accountable

DUBAI: Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shaibani said Wednesday the country is committed to holding accountable those responsible for any violations in Druze-majority region of Sweida. 

Speaking from Ankara, Al Shaibani was accompanied by Syrian Defense Minister Marhaf Abu Qasra and intelligence chief Hussein Salameh. 

Shaibani reiterated Damascus’s sentiments in assuring the Druze community that they are part of Syria and their protection is the responsibility of the state. 

Al Shaibani also rejected the notion of exploitation of the Druze community by Israel and other agents. 

Speaking at the joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also blamed Israel for its attempts to meddle in Syrian affairs.

 ”Israel is working to stir chaos in Syria,” Fidan added

Fidan also said Syria is heading toward stability and developing constructive international relations. 

Al-Shaibani’s trip to Ankara is focused on enhancing cooperation between the two countries, enhancing security and developing economic investments. 

It comes a week after Fidan visited Damascus where he affirmed Turkiye’s support for Syria and called on the international community to shoulder responsibility in curbing Israeli aggression and occupation of Syrian lands.


Jordan authorities seize half a million Captagon pills in smuggling attempt 

Updated 13 August 2025
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Jordan authorities seize half a million Captagon pills in smuggling attempt 

CAIRO: Jordanian Customs and the anti-narcotics department foiled an attempt to smuggle a total of 517,000 Captagon pills into the country, according to Petra News Agency. 

The Karameh Customs Center said Wednesday the seized drugs were professionally hidden inside metal trays that seemed to be designed specifically for the purpose of smuggling. 

The drugs were carried inside a truck arriving from a neighboring country, it added.     

At dawn, the Jordanian military also thwarted another drug smuggling attempt in which smugglers loaded balloons with drugs and controlled them using primitive devices. The seized items were transferred to the competent authorities.