Six months after Assad’s fall, fewer than 1 in 10 refugees have come home. The fear is no longer the regime; it’s the uncertainty of opportunities at home.
Key insights:
• About 577,266 returns since December, out of 6.1 million refugees
• Housing destruction is the biggest barrier: 328,000 homes were destroyed; many more are uninhabitable.
• Living costs are staggering: monthly rents in Damascus are hundreds of US dollars, but some wages remain under $50.
• 80% of refugees say they want to return, but only 27% plan to do so within a year. Meanwhile…
• 106,000 made the opposite journey to Lebanon since December, fleeing violence in the coastal region
• Distrust and insecurity persist, especially among minorities and IDPs.|
Will return continue at a slow pace despite the ongoing challenges?