UNHCR: Few returnees to Syria so far
Published: Friday, Dec 13th 2024, 14:20
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According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the uprising in Syria has not yet triggered a massive return of refugees.
Since the weekend, 3,000 returnees have been counted at the border between Turkey and Syria, reported UNHCR representative Gonzalo Vargas Llosa in a video link from Damascus. The day before, 2,000 people had returned from Lebanon.
Many refugees were still waiting, said Vargas. He pointed out that law and order had not yet been restored in the country following the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad. Returnees not only want a peaceful transition of power and reconciliation after years of civil war, but also international help to regain an economic foothold in their home country. According to the UNHCR, around 4.8 million refugees from Syria are living in neighboring countries and North African states. All Syrians should "have the opportunity to decide at their own pace and without pressure when they want to return", said UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler in Geneva.
©Keystone/SDA
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