The decision to repatriate voluntarily is an individual one that is affected by many factors, including the circumstances surrounding flight and conditions for return. UNHCR plays a leading role, collaborating with States and other partners to promote, facilitate, and coordinate voluntary repatriation in safety and dignity.
In Syria, in addition to responding to situations of new and protracted displacement, UNHCR has enhanced its engagement in communities where spontaneous self-organized refugee and IDP returns are taking place to address needs and help build resilience through a range of multi-sector interventions.
From 2016 to 2023, UNHCR verified or monitored the return of some 391,488 individual refugees from the region (Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt).
During 2023, UNHCR verified or monitored the spontaneous and self-organized return of 38,257Syrian refugees from neighbouring countries – a drop from 51,000 in 2022 and representing a significant decrease compared with 2019 (95,000). The numbers reported are only those verified or monitored by UNHCR and do not reflect the entire number of refugee returns, which may be significantly higher.