Syria's Refugees Return Home filled with Hope! ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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B Stands for BraveryGreetings,

On December 8, Syria's dictator, Bashar al-Assad fled [link removed] Damascus to seek refuge in Moscow as rebel groups advanced towards the capital. The nearly 60-year-era of one of the most brutal dictatorships in the world is now over. But the nearly 14-year-long war against the people of Syria, since their peaceful uprising [link removed] in 2011, has caused the largest global refugee crisis of our time [link removed]., resulting in more than 14 million [link removed] refugees and??more than 7.2 million [link removed] internally displaced. As of today, the death toll estimates are as high as620,000 [link removed]., which is an astonishing number in a country with a prewar population of only 22 million [link removed].. Thousands of Syrians remain missing including family friends and my grandfather who was taken in early 1980s, without official confirmation about his whereabouts despite rumors that he died under torture during Hafez al-Assad regime.

For most Syrians, since at least 2011, the very idea of home has shifted beneath their feet, a whole nation has gone forcibly homeless for a decade and a half including at least 2 million children, making Syria the country with the most children refugees. Approximately 5.5 million [link removed] refugees live in the five countries neighboring Syria-Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. In Europe, Germany is the largest host country with more than 850,000 [link removed] Syrians. The United States has only admitted less than 12,000 [link removed] Syrians since 2011. But now Syrians are starting to return [link removed] home.

The conditions in the war-torn country are extremely fragile. Seventy percent [link removed] of Syria's population is in need of humanitarian assistance and 90 percent [link removed] live below the poverty line. Yet, people have been celebrating their freedom all over the country [link removed] for the past two weeks. They are gathering in public squares, singing the revolution songs, and dancing, while also mourning the loss of loved ones.

As we approach the end of 2024, Syria gives me great hope [link removed] despite the horrors its people lived under for so long. The opportunity to re-build an inclusive country for all Syrians is now, and nothing will stop Syrians from fighting for their freedom and dignity. The world witnessed how the 82,000 [link removed] barrel bombs [link removed], chemical weapons [link removed], and torture [link removed] did not scare Syrians from continuing to march in the streets demanding democracy and basic human rights. As a Syrian-American who was forced to flee my hometown [link removed], Damascus, nearly 20 years ago because of direct death threats from Bashar al-Assad to my family, I'm thankful for the United States for giving us a chance to live freely and to have a home again after being forcibly uprooted.

As a citizen of this great nation, I urge all of us to stay dedicated to the struggle for migrants and immigrants to have a second chance at life in our country. As we face negative rhetoric and plans that threaten the values of welcome in the United States, let us always remember that America is a nation of immigrants. As Emma Lazarus said, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses??yearning to breathe free." So, let's continue to advocate [link removed] for and welcome newcomers, while celebrating their massive contributions [link removed] to our nation.

Happy Holidays!

Oula??

**Oula Alrifai**
Assistant Vice President of Field and Constituencies
National Immigration Forum??

**NEWS CLIPS TO NOTE:**

****

**REUTERS:****UN refugee agency expects 1 million Syrians to return in six months** [link removed]

**BLOOMBERG:****Immigration Fuels Fastest US Population Growth in Two Decades** [link removed]

**NBC NEWS:****Immigration advocates gear up to fight Trump promises in places that voted for him** [link removed]

**ROLL CALL:??****The many layers of Trump's immigration policy** [link removed]

**WASHINGTON POST:****As Trump threatens mass deportations, Central America braces for an influx of vulnerable migrants** [link removed]

**THE NEW YORK TIMES:****Tech Makes an Economic Case for Skilled Immigrants. Will Trump Bite?** [link removed]

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