Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 9, 2025 Refugees and migrants
On Wednesday, 152 Syrians returned home from Libya. Their voluntary return was facilitated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency. The flight from Tripoli to Damascus was organized at the request of the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The returnees had lived in Libya for over ten years.
“IOM is expanding its activities and services in Syria to support the country’s recovery from years of conflict and to ensure the dignified and sustainable return of Syrians, both internally displaced and those abroad,” said Othman Belbeisi, IOM Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
The repatriates received assistance from IOM both before leaving Tripoli and upon arrival in Damascus. This included providing transportation to their destinations in Syria, including Aleppo, Hama, and Homs.
In the coming months, IOM will provide families with individual reintegration support to help them return to normal life.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than a million people have returned to Syria from abroad since December 2024, when the Assad regime was toppled, mainly from regional countries such as Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.
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Today's operation to facilitate the return of Syrians from Libya was made possible thanks to financial support from the European Union. Since 2015, the IOM mission in Libya has assisted more than 105,000 migrants in returning to their home countries.
Eleonora Servino, IOM's Acting Head of Mission in Syria, stated that the organization helps repatriate people who want to but are unable to return home on their own and who dream of building a future in their own country. Such operations, she noted, contribute to "the stability and development of the entire region."
IOM is currently expanding its operations in Syria, facilitating the reintegration of returnees. With support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), IOM plans to launch a two-year project in Aleppo Governorate aimed at providing returnees with housing, including rental assistance, improved access to land and property rights, and legal support.
In July, IOM received permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (formally the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates) to re-establish its presence in Damascus and expand humanitarian operations throughout the country.
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