![Syrians gather to mark the anniversary of the “Operation to Deter the Enemy,” which resulted in the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime, carrying Syrian flags and chanting slogans emphasizing the unity and integrity of the country in Aleppo, Syria on November 28, 2025. [Kasım Yusuf - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AA-20251128-39835979-39835977-SYRIANS_MARK_ANNIVERSARY_OF_THE_MAJOR_MILITARY_OPERATION_IN_ALEPPO.jpg)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expects around one million Syrian refugees to return to their country by 2026, amid what it described as a gradual recovery following the fall of the Assad regime. In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the UNHCR representative in Syria, said approximately 1.3 million Syrian refugees have returned to the country since December 2024. He added that around two million internally displaced people have also gone back to their areas of origin. Vargas Llosa said this means more than three million Syrians have returned to their homes in a relatively short period, despite the country being devastated by years of war that severely damaged its economy, infrastructure and basic services. […]
