Many Syrians are returning to their homes and trying to rebuild their lives. Dozens of Syrians returned home on flight from Libya with UN support Refugees and migrants
On Wednesday, 152 Syrians returned from Libya to their homeland. Their voluntary return was facilitated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency. The flight from Tripoli to Damascus was organized at the request of the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The returnees had been living in Libya for more than ten years.
“IOM is expanding its activities and services in Syria to support the country’s reconstruction after years of conflict and ensure the dignified and sustainable return of Syrians, both internally displaced and those abroad,” said Othman Belbeisi, Director of the IOM Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa.
The returnees received assistance from IOM both before leaving Tripoli and upon arrival in Damascus. They were provided with transportation to their destinations in Syria, including Aleppo, Hama and Homs.
In the coming months, IOM will provide families with individual reintegration assistance to help them return to normalcy
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), since December 2024, when the Assad regime was overthrown, more than a million people have returned to Syria from abroad, mainly from countries in the region such as Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan.
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Today’s operation to facilitate returns Syrians from Libya was made possible thanks to financial support from the European Union. Since 2015, IOM in Libya has helped more than 105,000 migrants return to their home countries.
Eleanor Servino, IOM’s acting head of mission in Syria, said the organization is helping to repatriate people who want but cannot return home on their own and dream of building a future in to your country. Such operations, she noted, contribute to “the stability and development of the entire region.”
IOM is currently ramping up operations in Syria to facilitate the reintegration of returnees. With support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), IOM plans to launch a two-year project in Aleppo province aimed at providing housing for returning Syrians, including through rental assistance, increased access to land and property rights, and legal support.
B In July, IOM received permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (officially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs) to re-establish its presence in Damascus and expand humanitarian operations throughout the country.