Syrians’ returns from Türkiye surge sevenfold: Minister

ANKARA

Syrians living in Türkiye push a cart loaded with their furniture at the Cilvegözü border crossing gate in Reyhanli on Dec. 12, 2024, on their way back to their country following the oust of Syrian president.

The number of Syrians returning to their homeland from Türkiye has increased nearly sevenfold daily since the Assad regime's ouster, with expectations of even more people returning in the coming days, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Dec. 24.

"From Dec. 9 to last evening — over a span of just 15 days — the number of Syrians we facilitated to voluntarily return to Syria has exceeded 25,000," Yerlikaya told state-run Anadolu Agency, referring to the figure a day after opposition groups toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec. 8.

The majority of returnees hailed from Türkiye’s southeastern province of Gaziantep, followed by Hatay and Istanbul, he said.

Syrians returning to their homeland would be allowed to take all their household belongings, workplace equipment and vehicles with them, Yerlikaya noted. In a bid to streamline the declaration of assets during the transition, the Trade Ministry recently introduced measures to ease procedural requirements.

A migration office will be established in Turkish embassies and consulates in Damascus and Aleppo, enabling Türkiye to share data on refugees with Syria’s new administration.

Though records of Syrian migrants exist in Türkiye, the information of their own citizens is largely absent in Syria due to the destruction of population registries, land records and archives by terrorist groups and the Assad regime, Yerlikaya said.

He further noted the inability to issue passports or identity documents in Syria, emphasizing that rebuilding efforts “must extend beyond infrastructure to include the reestablishment of systems across all state institutions, particularly government offices.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan directed all ministries in Türkiye to coordinate with their counterparts in Syria’s transitional government once fully established, pledging assistance in the reconstruction process, the minister said.

 Pioneer migrant scheme

The minister also announced the introduction of a "pioneer migrant" scheme that allows one family member to return to Syria temporarily to assess conditions and make preparations before relocating permanently.

From Jan. 1 to July 1, 2025, each family will be granted three entries and exits to facilitate the readiness of their homes, he said, adding that two of the six designated border gates will be authorized for such movements.

Yerlikaya also stated that Türkiye hosts over 4 million Syrians with legal residency, including approximately 875,000 children born and raised in Türkiye.