Khaberni - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has estimated the number of Syrians who have returned to their country from Jordan since the fall of the regime until September 27 at more than 157,000 refugees registered with the commission.
The commission noted a slowdown in the pace of return in recent weeks, with about 3,100 refugees returning to Syria last week, compared to 4,100 the previous week, which is a 24% decrease, according to Alghad.
The commission pointed out that the demographic composition of the returnees remained similar to previous weeks, with women and girls making up about 49% of the total returnees, while children amounted to 43%, and men aged between 18 and 40 years constituted about 19% of the total returnees.
It was clarified that the majority of returnees are still returning from host communities within Jordan, especially from Amman and Irbid.
Until October 2 of the current year, the commission estimated the number of Syrians who have returned to their country from various countries since December 8, 2024, until the beginning of October 2025, to be about 1,082,724 people, in addition to 1,870,049 internally displaced persons who have returned to their original or chosen areas within Syria.
The commission confirmed that since the fall of the Assad regime, a significant number of Syrian refugees residing in Jordan have expressed their desire to return to their homes, albeit cautiously. While the commission does not encourage a large-scale return under the current circumstances, it supports refugees who choose to return voluntarily after being informed about the conditions in their original or alternative areas within Syria.
The commission explained that several refugees are contacting it requesting support and assistance to facilitate their voluntary return, whether through financial aid or providing transportation. In response, the commission is working to enhance support programs to ensure that these returns are dignified and sustainable.
Conversely, the commission emphasized that most refugees do not intend to return during the current year, given the ongoing uncertainty in Syria. It assured that, in cooperation with its humanitarian response partners, it will continue to provide protection and life-saving aid to refugees residing in Jordan for the foreseeable future.
According to the commission's data, the conditions of Syrian refugees in Jordan are still very fragile, with 67% of them living below the poverty line, while 9 out of 10 refugees resort to borrowing to cover their basic needs such as rent, food, and medicine.
The commission pointed out that the continuation of donor support is crucial to maintaining the level of services provided to refugees, including their registration and documentation and ensuring access to basic services, in addition to enabling humanitarian response partners to plan and provide aid efficiently.
According to the latest survey conducted by the commission in June, 80% of Syrian refugees residing in Jordan express their intention to return to their country someday, but the decision to return is still linked to multiple economic and security factors.
The survey revealed that 36% of refugees who do not intend to return attribute their decision to the destruction and damage of their homes, while 23% cited the absence of job opportunities and income sources, and 12% to concerns related to security and safety, while 9% mentioned that a lack of financial resources prevents them from returning, and 7% reported the lack of adequate services in Syria.
Moreover, a new report issued by the Norwegian Refugee Council warned that legal, economic, and administrative complexities make it nearly impossible for thousands of Syrian refugees in Jordan to return to their country at the present time.
The report clarified that the return of some refugee categories is not just a difficult issue, but is nearly impossible structurally, amid problems of lack of official documents, legal and procedural barriers, and protection concerns, which keep many in a prolonged state of uncertainty.
It indicated that these obstacles are not individual cases, as thousands of refugees face an undefined legal status preventing them from crossing the border legally, and exposing them to multiple risks including arrest, family separation, and loss of nationality. Even those who own incomplete documents or pending legal files face challenges that extend beyond the return phase itself.
The report stressed that achieving a safe and sustainable return requires clear legal pathways for regularizing the status of refugees and obtaining official approvals from the Syrian authorities, in addition to resolving documentation issues. It also confirmed that the absence of reliable institutional support for handling administrative procedures in both Jordan and Syria forces refugees to face risky choices.
