About half a million Syrian refugees have returned to Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, most of them from Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt, amid expectations of more returns in the coming months.

Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees mission in Syria, stated that the number of refugees who have returned to Syria since the fall of the former regime has reached half a million people.

He added in a statement to the official news agency (SANA) today, May 15, that a large number of Syrians could return in the coming months, reflecting a “strong” indication of popular optimism regarding the political changes that have taken place in the country, as described by him.

Vargas Llosa considered the fall of the Assad regime a “historic” opportunity to address the issue of refugees and internally displaced persons, the effects of which have lingered painfully for more than 14 years.

The commission conducted a survey among representatives of Syrian refugees in the region after the regime’s fall regarding their intentions to return, with the result showing that about 80% expressed a desire to return to their homeland.

Vargas Llosa pointed out obstacles to the return of Syrians, which stem from economic factors and damage to infrastructure in Syria, as well as the scale of destruction that has affected various aspects of life over the past years.

On another note, the head of the mission welcomed the US president’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria, considering that the speed of its implementation will have a significant positive impact on supporting sustainable voluntary return.

The numbers of returning refugees to Syria continue to increase slowly, mainly through land crossings from neighboring countries, in addition to smaller numbers via airports in Damascus and Aleppo.

The neighboring countries, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan, have received the largest share of returning refugees, while the number of refugees returning from European countries remains slight, due to the differences in services and the deteriorating economic situation in Syria.

Host countries are seeking to conclude the refugee issue on their territories by implementing plans to encourage Syrians to return, in exchange for freezing new asylum applications and enacting laws to limit asylum.

The United Nations expects the number of returnees this year to reach about one and a half million Syrian refugees.