Damascus, Syria, September 25, 2025 —  As the number of Syrian refugees reported to have returned from neighboring countries passes one million, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that conditions inside Syria remain deeply challenging and far from conducive for large-scale, safe, dignified, and sustainable returns. Ongoing insecurity, record humanitarian needs, and the collapse of essential services continue to pose immense risks for returnees, host communities, and millions who remain internally displaced.

Juan Gabriel Wells, the IRC’s Country Director in Syria, said:

“The fall of the Assad-led government rekindled long-deferred hopes for many refugees that returning home was finally possible. Almost a year on, the fact that over one million refugees have now reportedly returned shows the depth of that hope. But we must be clear: returning under today’s conditions is, for too many, not the same as returning safely, with dignity, or with any guarantee of permanence.”

For many who have returned, the reality is stark. A recent joint IRC assessment shows families struggling to access jobs and income, secure safe shelter, and meet even their most basic needs for food, water, and healthcare. With nearly one-third of Syria’s housing stock destroyed, many are forced into overcrowded shelters, unaffordable rentals, or repeated cycles of displacement. 

Insecurity, sectarian violence, and localized conflict—most recently in Suwayda—continue to result in civilian casualties, damage to critical infrastructure, and renewed waves of displacement. While ongoing Israeli airstrikes and incursions further exacerbate divisions, restrict access to land and livelihoods, and undermine prospects for stability and peace.

Explosive remnants of war remain one of the deadliest barriers to return. In some areas, 87 percent of respondents in IRC protection monitoring reported unexploded ordnance within 10 kilometers of their homes. Children and newly arrived returnees are often most at risk, with 525 people killed since December alone.

At the same time, Syria’s core infrastructure is in ruins. More than four in five electricity networks are damaged or destroyed, nearly half of hospitals no longer function fully, almost two-thirds of water systems are impaired, and one-third of schools remain unusable - making it nearly impossible for returnees to rebuild their lives with safety or dignity.

Yet international support to Syria is collapsing. Three quarters of the way through the year, only 15% of the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan is funded, leaving humanitarian services are stretched beyond capacity and 16.5 million Syrians— including returnees — without sufficient assistance.

As a result of these conditions and ongoing insecurity, refugee intentions to return are falling, with just 18% percent now expressing a willingness to return, down from 25% in February.

Wells added:

“Every Syrian who wishes to return home deserves to do so in safety and with dignity. Yet for too many, that is simply not the reality today. Achieving durable solutions demands more than short-term measures — it requires sustained, long-term commitment from the international community, both financial and political, to create the conditions for scaled-up humanitarian aid, livelihoods, development, and reconstruction. Crucially, return must always be a choice: voluntary, well-informed, safe, and dignified — never an act of desperation. And for those who cannot, or choose not to return, the world cannot turn its back. Their survival, and the stability of the communities that host them, depend on continued support.”

The IRC continues to emphasize that while refugees who wish to return must be enabled to do so, large-scale safe and dignified returns will only be possible with substantial international investment and protection. The international community must also continue to uphold its responsibility to Syrians who remain displaced, ensuring they are supported and that their fundamental rights are fully respected.

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