Some Syrians Return Home from Lebanon INTERVIEW | Syrian Refugees: Safety is Key to Returning Home Refugees and Migrants
Almost 14 years of conflict in Syria have forced more than six million people to flee the country. With the fall of the Assad regime, Syrians are faced with a choice: some are returning, others are waiting, or are being forced to leave their homes. In a rapidly changing situation, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continues to provide assistance to both internally displaced persons and refugees. UNHCR’s Rula Amin spoke to UN News about the situation in Syria.
Situation on the borders
According to her, based on information the Office receives from refugees and border services, some Syrians are returning from Lebanon to Syria, but their number is still small. At the same time, thousands of Syrians continue to flee the country for Lebanon.
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The situation on the ground remains extremely unstable. Many people, both inside and outside Syria, are closely following the developments. They are assessing whether the transition of power will be peaceful and what the new regime will be like. People want to be sure that their return will be safe, Amin emphasized.
Syrian Refugees
She recalled that there are more than six million Syrian refugees in the world, and most of them express hope to return. However, they are held back by two main factors: security and living conditions. If in the past security was associated with the risks of arbitrary arrests, interrogations and disappearances, now, with the fall of the previous regime, new threats are emerging.
Refugees want to be sure that their rights will be protected and that the laws will be respected in the country, the UNHCR representative noted. At the same time, homes have been destroyed, infrastructure has been destroyed, and access to basic services such as electricity, water, schools and health facilities is very difficult in Syria.
Humanitarian Aid
Therefore, according to Amin, the situation requires the participation of the international community. UNHCR continues to provide assistance to those in need, despite the instability that impedes the delivery of humanitarian aid. For example, about 30 community centers previously operated in Aleppo, but they had to be closed due to the fighting. As the situation stabilized, some of them were able to reopen, the UNHCR employee said.
Today, an estimated 90 percent of Syria’s population relies on humanitarian aid. UNHCR is calling on all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety of aid workers, warehouses and supplies.
Meanwhile, more than a million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes inside the country in the past two weeks. Many are surviving the winter without basic supplies or shelter, and some have been displaced multiple times.
Right to Asylum
Syrians are seeking refuge abroad to escape violence and persecution. They have a right to protection and should be able to apply for asylum.
Some European countries are already taking decisions to suspend asylum for Syrians. UNHCR urges caution over security in Syria. At the moment, the situation remains uncertain and it is not always safe to return, Amin stressed. Refugees must be given time and space to make decisions.
“We hope that this is only the first step towards a better future for Syrians, towards an end to their suffering and their return home,” the UNHCR representative said.
However, without the help of the international community, it is impossible to improve living conditions in the country. If people return but cannot find work or access education and health services, they will be forced to leave again.