Grandi Urges Global Support as Syrians Return Home After Regime Collapse

On World Refugee Day, 20 June 2025, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi visited Syria to mark what he called a “historic turning point”—the return of millions of displaced Syrians following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024. Speaking from the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing with Lebanon, Grandi emphasized the need for immediate and sustained international support to help the country rebuild and secure lasting peace.

“It is very significant for me to spend World Refugee Day in a country where refugees can finally stop being refugees,” Grandi said. “But it will be tough. Everything needs to be reconstructed.”

A Wave of Returnees and a Glimmer of Hope

According to the UNHCR, more than 2 million Syrians have returned since December, including nearly 600,000 refugees from neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, as well as 1.5 million internally displaced people (IDPs). This marks the largest voluntary repatriation movement in over a decade.

Grandi visited families crossing the border, many of whom had spent years—some over a decade—living in exile. At the Jdeidet Yabous border post, scenes of jubilation unfolded: trucks filled with furniture and personal belongings honked as they rolled past, and children waved Syria’s new three-starred flag from open windows.

Challenges Ahead: Fragile Infrastructure and Shrinking Aid

While optimism is growing, the scale of the challenges is daunting. Most of Syria’s basic infrastructure—electricity, water, healthcare, schools—has been decimated by 14 years of war. Many areas remain unsafe due to lingering armed factions, unexploded ordnance, and unresolved land disputes.

UNHCR is attempting to meet these needs through comprehensive returnee assistance: transportation, housing repairs, legal aid for lost documents, and reintegration support through community centres. But the agency has been hit hard by global funding cuts.

“Seventeen of our 122 community centres have already closed, and 50 more are at risk,” Grandi warned. “Without more resources, these returns could prove short-lived.”

Return Stories: From Displacement to Determination

One such returnee is Iman, a mother of three who lived as a refugee in Lebanon for 14 years. She now plans to rebuild her life in Aleppo, hoping to revive her tailoring business and enrol her children in local schools.

“I am here to go to Aleppo and see how the situation is,” she said. “If the situation is good, I can settle down again and live the life I used to live.”

Her voice trembled with joy: “It’s an indescribable feeling of happiness… Now we will go home and everything will go back to the way it was before—and even better, God willing.”

UNHCR’s Call to Action: Don’t Let Hope Fade

Grandi urged governments, corporations, foundations, and individuals to rally around Syria at this critical juncture. Without aid to restore schools, homes, and hospitals, the return movement could stall, or worse—reverse.

“Even those who stayed in Syria may choose to flee again if conditions do not improve,” Grandi cautioned. “We must avoid that at all costs.”

He added that this unique moment offers a rare opportunity to bring closure to one of the world’s most protracted refugee crises and to ensure that Syrians can “reclaim their dignity and rebuild their nation.”

A New Beginning—But Only If the World Shows Up

The fall of Syria’s previous regime has opened the door to repatriation and rebuilding. The momentum is real, but so are the dangers. Without a concerted global effort to provide financial, logistical, and political support, the fragile recovery could falter—leaving millions in limbo once again.

As Grandi put it: “This is not the end of the refugee story. But it can be the beginning of the end, if the world acts decisively and with compassion.”