NEW REPORT | Not Yet Home: Evidence and recommendations on Syrian refugee returns from Türkiye

On the day of the first EU-Syria High Level Political Dialogue, FORCE4Refugees and Upinion jointly published a new report to shed light on the lived experiences of Syrian refugee returnees from Türkiye. As international attention turns to Syria's reconstruction and the normalisation of relations with its new government, the analysis proposes concrete recommendations for decision-makers to protect the rights of those who return, and those who do not.

According to UNHCR, over 600,000 Syrians have returned from Türkiye to Syria since December 2024. This study draws on data collected between August 2025 and April 2026 by F4R partner organisations Olive Branch, Women Now for Development, and Support to Life, as well as Upinion, showing how these return movements are often taking place against the backdrop of shrinking protection space in host countries and insufficient reconstruction inside Syria. Data was collected through a combination of surveys, focus group discussions, digital engagement, and qualitative interviews with Syrian returnees, refugees still in Türkiye, and Syrian women, and then triangulated and analysed comparatively to identify general trends and patterns.

The picture that emerges tells a consistent story: return is not the end of the journey of displacement, but the beginning of a long and difficult phase of reintegration and socio-economic reconstruction. As of today, Syria lacks the basic services, livelihood opportunities, and infrastructure that constitute key preconditions for safe and dignified returns. Return programming, reconstruction, and the protection of refugees in host countries are interlinked processes that cannot be treated as separate policy tracks. And, as long as the conditions for safe, voluntary, and dignified return are not in place, protection obligations towards refugees in host countries must not be sidelined in favour of return programming.

Read the full report to explore the evidence, as well as concrete recommendations for UNHCR, donor states, and Syrian and Turkish authorities.

Download the document below, available in three languages (English, Arabic, and Turkish).