Over one million Syrians return home following Assad’s overthrow, says UN

More than a million displaced Syrians have returned home following the ousting of Bashar Assad, including 280,000 refugees who have come back from abroad, the United Nations reported on Tuesday.

Assad’s rule ended in December after a rebel offensive brought down his regime, marking the close of a civil war that began in 2011 with the violent suppression of anti-government protests. The conflict has claimed over half a million lives and uprooted millions.

The Islamist-led rebels, now in control, have sought to reassure the international community of their commitment to minority rights and a break from their past.

“Since the fall of the regime in Syria, we estimate that 280,000 Syrian refugees and more than 800,000 people displaced inside the country have returned to their homes,” stated Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, on X. However, he warned that “early recovery efforts must be bolder and faster, though, otherwise people will leave again: this is now urgent!”

In mid-February, a conference in Paris brought together representatives from 20 countries—including Arab states, Turkiye, Britain, France, Germany, Canada, and Japan—who pledged to support Syria’s transition.

Their final statement emphasized the need to “work together to ensure the success of the transition” and committed to backing Syria’s new leadership in combating “all forms of terrorism and extremism.”