One million Syrians have returned to their country since the toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December. The milestone was announced last week by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on the same day that interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa became the first Syrian leader to address the UN General Assembly in nearly 60 years. Together, the moments illustrate how much has changed in Syria. “While turning the page of a wretched past, we are determined to restore Syria's glory, dignity, and honor,” al-Sharaa told the General Assembly. In addition to returnees from abroad, another 1.8 million internally displaced Syrians have gone back to their places of origin, UNHCR said. Still, it is far too early to celebrate. While many Syrians have adopted a cautious optimism in recent months, the country has also seen deadly insurgent sectarian violence, including summary executions of Alawites, as well as steep economic challenges and a devastating drought that has pushed millions into hunger. International assistance has been cut, and although some sanctions imposed against the Assad regime were lifted, many still remain. Also, while the return of 1 million Syrians is notable, millions more remain displaced in Turkey, across the Middle East, and to a lesser extent in Europe and other destinations. Many face a range of barriers to return, including high travel costs and incomplete documentation which could result in them being turned back at the border. As the Migration Information Source recently examined, many of the more than 1 million Syrians in Jordan have started to build a new life for themselves after nearly 15 years of displacement; return may not be an easy decision. All the same, it is hard to dispute that the future has become at least somewhat brighter. Syrians will head to the polls in coming days to choose the first parliament of the post-Assad era, in what could be a test of the new government’s legitimacy. In the days after Assad’s downfall last year, my colleagues reminded readers that it took years for large numbers of displaced people to return after previous conflicts in the Balkans and Côte d’Ivoire; the situation in Syria will likely be no different. The fact that 1 million Syrians have now returned to their country suggests that one of the largest displacement crisis of the 21st century may be entering its final stages, but there is still a long way to go. All the best, Julian Hattem
Editor, Migration Information Source
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