Global Initiative Bi-weekly Countries News Updates
January 27th to February 7th, 2025 Lebanon Voluntary Return of Syrian Refugees and IDPs 2025 Following the collapse of the Assad government in Syria in early December 2024, many among the 5.5 million Syrian refugees in Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt have expressed elation and hope about the prospect of returning to their homes, together with caution. Subsequently, as of end-January 2025, UNHCR estimates that some 250,000 Syrians have already returned to Syria since then. Similarly, with unrestricted movement within much of the country restored, particularly to the northwest and northeast, UNHCR and partners have observed an uptick in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside Syria who have returned home during the same pe...