Turkey: 723,000 Syrians return to their country since the fall of the Assad regime

Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Çavuşoğlu announced that 723,000 Syrians have returned to their country since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The Interior Minister noted that Ankara has made changes to its approach toward migration policies. In remarks made during a live broadcast on Turkey’s NTV channel, he said, “We view our migration policy from a humanitarian, moral, and legal perspective, and we will act accordingly, basing all our migration policies on this foundation.” He noted that Turkey currently hosts 3.623 million foreigners with legal residency rights, including 2.235 million Syrians. He added, “Syrians began returning to their country following the regime change on December 8, 2024. Over the past ten years, 1.5 million Syrians have returned to their homeland, with the pace of returns accelerating after December 8.” He clarified that since December 8, 2024, 723,000 Syrians have returned to their country voluntarily, safely, and with dignity, adding, “We encourage this and do not force anyone to return to death, persecution, or an unsafe environment.”