Over 175,000 Syrians return from Türkiye since Assad’s fall, interior minister confirms
Following the 15-year civil war in Syria and the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, Syrian citizens lines up at the Cilvegozu Border Gate to cross back into their homeland in Reyhanli, Hatay, Türkiye on Dec. 9, 2024. (IHA Photo)
More than 175,000 Syrians who had sought refuge in neighbouring Türkiye have returned home since Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad fled the country in December, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced Wednesday.
Sharing a graph on social media, Yerlikaya stated that 175,512 Syrians voluntarily returned to Syria between December 9, 2024, and April 13, 2025, following what he described as a new era of stability and safety in the war-torn country.
The returns, he emphasized, were carried out “voluntarily, safely, honorably, and regularly.”
Key border crossings used for return
According to data provided by the ministry, the majority of returns occurred through border gates in southeastern Türkiye:
- Hatay Cilvegozu: 87,867 returns
- Kilis Oncupinar: 63,532
- Hatay Yayladagi: 10,151
- Gaziantep Karkamis: 7,127
- Hatay Zeytindali: 5,410
- Sanliurfa Akcakale: 1,425
Türkiye still hosts millions
Despite the recent surge in returns, Yerlikaya noted that Türkiye continues to host a large refugee population. As of April, there are 4,043,215 foreigners living in Türkiye, including:
- 2,782,733 Syrians under temporary protection
- 1,082,083 foreigners with residence permits
- 178,399 individuals under international protection
Long-term return trend
A second graph shared by Yerlikaya showed that a total of 915,515 Syrians have voluntarily returned to their homeland since 2017. The annual figures are as follows:
- 2017: 117,919
- 2018: 173,124
- 2019: 93,249
- 2020: 39,319
- 2021: 56,963
- 2022: 58,758
- 2023: 76,346
- 2024: 163,292
- 2025 (until April 13): 136,545
Nearly 400,000 returnees since Assad’s fall
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that approximately 400,000 Syrians have returned from neighboring countries since the fall of Assad. In addition, over one million internally displaced Syrians have returned to their hometowns following the collapse of the regime.
The dramatic shift in Syria’s political landscape began on December 8, 2024, when Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime forces seized control of Damascus, effectively ending Baath Party rule that had lasted since 1963.
On January 29, a transitional Syrian administration was announced under the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa, the commander of the opposition forces that ousted Assad. The new administration dissolved Syria’s constitution, security services, armed factions, the Baath Party, and parliament — setting the stage for a new political structure.
