Phoenix 24
The end of dictatorship removed one barrier, but it did not rebuild the country refugees remembered.
DAMASCUS, SYRIA
Nearly 3.6 million Syrians have returned to their communities since Bashar al-Assad’s government collapsed in December 2024. According to UNHCR figures compiled through late May, approximately 1.67 million returned from neighbouring countries and another 1.92 million were internally displaced people going back to their places of origin. Many have encountered destroyed homes, unreliable electricity, scarce employment and public institutions unable to process even basic requests.
The experiences of two barbers in Damascus illustrate why return cannot be measured only through border statistics. Samer, whose name was changed for security reasons, earned about $1,000 a month in Turkey but now makes between $250 and $300. He regrets returning because transportation and living costs consume much of his income. His colleague Mustafa earns a similar amount after returning from Egypt, but considers the decision worthwhile because he lives in his family home and no longer pays rent.
Other returnees have discovered that savings accumulated abroad are insufficient in Syria’s distorted economy. Amer Hassan returned from Germany with more than $45,000 to open a restaurant, but rental and renovation costs exhausted his capital before the business began operating. Fares Ibrahim and his wife invested approximately $15,000 in a tailoring workshop after leaving Sweden, yet closed it after six months of weak returns. A computer engineer, Said Mahrouz, eventually established a small technology company, showing that success remains possible but requires capital, persistence and detailed knowledge of the local market.
Families with children face an additional form of disruption. Students educated in Germany or other host countries must adapt to Arabic-language curricula, overcrowded public schools and expensive private education. One mother who returned from Germany said she now wishes she had treated the journey as a family visit rather than a permanent relocation. Her testimony reflects the emotional cost of asking children to rebuild their identities across two incompatible educational and social systems.
The World Bank estimates Syria’s direct physical damage at approximately $108 billion and its reconstruction needs at around $216 billion, nearly ten times the country’s 2024 gross domestic product. Political change has enabled millions to return, but safety alone cannot guarantee sustainable reintegration. Refugees need housing, employment, education, functioning administration and confidence that their families will have a viable future. Without those foundations, return may become another stage of displacement rather than its conclusion.
Más allá de la noticia, el patrón. / Beyond the news, the pattern.