Title: Regional Study on Gender Dynamics, Risks, and Decision-Making Related to Syrian Returns in Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye, and Syria

**Title:** Regional Study on Gender Dynamics, Risks, and Decision-Making Related to Syrian Returns in Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye, and Syria

**Background**

The question of Syrian return has gained renewed prominence across the region following shifts in the political and security landscape since late 2024. After more than a decade of protracted displacement, the Syria crisis remains one of the largest globally, with over 6.1 million Syrian refugees hosted primarily in neighboring countries, including approximately 2.9 million in Türkiye, 755,000 in Lebanon, and 611,000 in Jordan .

Since December 2024, there has been a significant increase in return movements, largely spontaneous and occurring under evolving and often uncertain conditions. As of early 2026, estimates indicate that over 1.5 million Syrians have returned to Syria from neighboring countries, primarily from Türkiye, Lebanon, and Jordan. Of these:

- Over 500,000 returns have been recorded from Türkiye alone
- Approximately 180,000 returns from Jordan
- Hundreds of thousands have returned from Lebanon, including over 500,000 departures reported in 2025 and 168000 due to the recent escalation in Lebanon

More broadly, over one million refugees have returned from neighboring countries since late 2024, alongside nearly two million internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning within Syria. Projections suggest that millions more may return in the coming years, underscoring the urgency of understanding return dynamics.

Despite these movements, returns are taking place in a context where 16.7 million people inside Syria still require humanitarian assistance, and where infrastructure, services, and protection systems remain severely strained. Evidence indicates that many returns are not necessarily driven by improved conditions in Syria alone, but also by increasing pressures in host countries, including economic hardship, restrictive policies, reduced assistance, and rising social tensions.

While the scale of