People arrive at the Jordanian side of the border as others wait in their cars after a ban on crossings into Syria, on December 7, 2024 in Jaber, Jordan [Salah Malkawi/Getty]
Over 1.3 million Syrian refugees in Jordan are waiting anxiously for assurances regarding the stability of the situation in Syria following the toppling of the Assad regime in order to return home.
Many hope this will mark the end of their tortuous journey – of over 13 years of displacement either in refugee camps or among host communities.
These years have seen Syrians struggling to cope with harsh living conditions and severe economic hardship.
According to official figures, around 8,000 Syrians in Jordan have attempted to make their way back home so far.
However, the majority of Syrian refugees in Jordan are hesitant about whether to return quickly or wait to see how the situation unfolds in Syria.
Many are especially concerned regarding the country’s shattered economy and its ability to ensure basic needs are met for those returning.
On a related note, Jordan’s authorities are concerned about the continuing decline in international support for Syrian refugees, amid expectations that voluntary returns will be sparse in the near future.
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) report indicated that international funding to Jordan to address the Syrian refugee crisis has declined significantly in 2024, with Amman having received only 40 percent of the amount received in 2023 by mid-October.
The report pointed out that the decline threatened Jordan’s ability to provide essential services to refugees amid escalating economic and social pressures.
Syrian refugees who spoke to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister edition, said they longed to return to Syria following Assad’s ousting, but preferred to wait until their homes were rebuilt, as many had been totally destroyed.Â
A Jordanian official told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that all necessary measures were being taken to facilitate and hasten the voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their homeland in the coming period.
The official, who requested anonymity, added that the border staff were working hard and were ready to process both individuals and commercial trucks heading to Syria.
Abdelilah Saada, 39, a Syrian refugee in Jordan who works in the food manufacturing industry spoke to the Phenix Economic and Informatics Studies Centre- a Jordanian civil society organisation- for a report in which the centre spoke to Syrian refugees in Jordan following the regime’s fall.
Saada said his primary focus was returning to his country; as he owns property in the Damascus countryside that he wants to reclaim to rebuild his life.
He said his joy was “indescribable” at the prospect of returning to Syria, adding that he wishes to regain the life and work that he lost when he was forced to flee.
However, he also believes that returning immediately might be unsafe, given the current lack of stability.
“We don’t know who will take over governance in Syria or what measures will be enacted regarding our return. Therefore, I’ll wait a few months until the security situation stabilises, and then I’ll start preparing to return to my homeland,” Saada said.
Return is the priority
Mohammad Al Muhaimed, 25, is a Syrian refugee in Jordan working in a barber shop. He says returning to Syria is now a priority.
“All our relatives are in Syria, and we have businesses there. When I go back I’ll open a barbers and have my own business – this was my dream even before I was displaced from my country.”
He also believes an immediate return may be risky, and says he and his family will wait for the situation in Syria to stabilise.
Malik Khreis, 31, who has lived for years in Zaatari camp in Jordan, says his return is only a matter of time and that he’s just waiting for the procedures on returning to be clearly outlined by the next government in Syria. Â
He says life in the camp has become unbearable due to the poor state of the caravans they live in, as well as the frequent power and water cuts.
Alongside this is a lack of work opportunities and the decline of UNHCR services, with the UN body reducing both its cash and in-kind assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan.
Most Syrians in Jordan live in camps set up for them, the largest of which is the Zaatari camp in the city of Mafraq, northeast of Amman.
The Syrian Embassy in Amman has announced that in light of the recent developments in Syria, it will facilitate the return of Syrians to their homeland, as well as continuing to operate consular services to Syrians in Jordan.
This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.
