The ongoing mass returns to Syria have led to millions of people being in need of humanitarian assistance: Sweden’s funding to UNHCR contributes to ensuring safe returns
The ongoing mass returns to Syria have led to millions of people being in need of humanitarian assistance: Sweden’s funding to UNHCR contributes to ensuring safe returns
UNHCR ensures that refugees in Zaatari camp have a safe and dignified voluntary return to Syria by providing protection counseling, transportation, and cash assistance to support their decision to return. ©UNHCR/Shawkat Al Harfoush
Since Syria’s change of regime in 2024, people have newfound hope of being able to return to the country, which is precisely what has happened. Over the past two years, approximately 3.8 million Syrian refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) have voluntarily returned to their home communities, and the trend continues in the second half of 2026. Despite people finding a sense of safety in returning to the country, there are several obstacles to returnees becoming independent. Sweden’s support to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, means the agency can provide people with support both during their return and upon arrival.
The massive returns are putting significant pressure on already stretched resources, with around 15.6 million Syrian refugees and IDPs still in great need of humanitarian assistance to this day. The return to their home community is not only about the journey itself, but above all what awaits upon arrival. In several parts of Syria, people face fragile living conditions, such as destroyed houses, limited access to basic services, documentation issues, as well as economic hardship. All these conditions are contributing factors that make reintegration more challenging.
Fekra stands in her damaged house after eight years of living in displacement. ©UNHCR/Vivian Toumeh
Syria is currently facing a difficult job market with limited work opportunities, which has resulted in approximately 13.3 million people struggling to meet their most basic needs and therefore being in great need of recovery assistance. The prevailing job market is partly due to thirteen years of crisis in Syria, which severely affected both the agricultural sector that was a key pillar of the Syrian economy, as well as tens of thousands of farmers being unable to access water due to destroyed water canals. Reintegration is a key factor in making people independent of humanitarian assistance, but with few livelihood opportunities, difficult housing conditions and major economic challenges, it constructs barriers that prevent people from being self-sufficient.
As a result of economic hardship, people have turned to destructive coping mechanisms to survive, including borrowing money, selling belongings, child labour, early marriages and taking on high-risk jobs. These coping mechanisms expose people to protections risks. In situations that are a matter of life and death, Sweden’s support to UNHCR is a key part of enabling safe protection strategies.
UNHCR’s response
During the journey back to Syria, UNHCR and its partners provided returnees with protection and assistance at border crossings, including transportation for vulnerable people, legal counselling and referrals. Furthermore, UNHCR has continued with post-return monitoring through community centers in areas of return.
A UNHCR protection team leads a focus group for families who have recently returned to Al-Nasiriyah village in southern rural Aleppo, after years of displacement – some from Türkiye and Lebanon as refugees, and others, who have been internally displaced in Idlib. The discussions are key to assessing returnees’ needs and enabling UNHCR and partners to provide the necessary support to help them rebuild their lives. ©UNHCR/ Hameed Maarouf
To facilitate the reintegration process upon arrival, UNHCR has, since January of this year, distributed return and reintegration cash assistance to 32,073 returnee households to help them meet their most urgent needs. In addition, a further 5,730 internally displaced returnee households received cash assistance, with the aim of supporting returns and reintegration under safe and dignified conditions.
Upon arrival, some returnees are faced with their homes being left in dust and ruins. To improve housing conditions for those affected, UNHCR has restored 1,020 destroyed homes since January, benefiting more than 5,100 people. In addition, 2,497 households received shelter cash assistance to gain access to adequate housing in areas of return. On top of that, UNHCR has provided core relief item kits to approximately 80,333 vulnerable families, containing basic household items as well as seasonal items.
UNHCR team distributing relief items to displaced families. ©UNHCR/Azad Bejou
Furthermore, UNHCR has provided entrepreneurship training with the aim of strengthening returnees’ economic inclusion and self-reliance. Through this training, participants are provided with essential knowledge and skills in various business areas. Upon completion of the training, participants receive cash assistance to apply their newly acquired knowledge into practice.
Thanks to Sweden’s support, UNHCR and its partners have been able to provide vulnerable people with lifesaving aid in Syria.
