Turkish expert says "mass return" of Syrian refugees unlikely at present

by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish expert has ruled out the possibility of an immediate "mass return" of Syrians to their home country after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government.

Metin Corabatir, head of the Ankara-based Research Center on Asylum and Migration, said while thousands of Syrians have already returned, there are still risks in Syria and a general lack of basic public services.

"The economy in Syria has collapsed, so some people prefer to wait and see," said Corabatir, who has been working with Syrian communities in Türkiye since their arrival after the Syrian civil war began in 2011.

Corabatir emphasized that an internationally recognized government must take office in Damascus for more Syrian refugees to head home.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in parliament on Sunday that Türkiye currently hosts some 2.95 million Syrians, and a total of 7,621 Syrian nationals had voluntarily returned to their homeland between Dec. 9 and Dec. 13.

The majority of Syrians in Türkiye hold temporary protection status and are not officially classified as "refugees." Most of them live in Istanbul, the country's largest city and financial hub, as well as in the two border cities with Syria, Gaziantep and Sanliurfa.

Despite substantial European Union-funded social and financial aid, many Syrians in Türkiye remain reliant on informal employment and struggle to meet their basic needs.

Their lives have become increasingly difficult in the past years as Turks face a cost-of-living crisis fueled by runaway inflation.

Within days after the downfall of Assad's government on Dec. 8, Türkiye quickly expanded its border crossing capacities to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after the fall of Assad's regime that Syrians are welcome to stay in Türkiye.

"We will do what is necessary to secure the return of Syrian refugees, and we'll gladly host those who want to remain in Türkiye," he said on Dec. 13.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Dec. 9 that Türkiye will work for their "safe and voluntary return home."■