Syria’s war created millions of refugees – now some might be forced to return home

As Syrian refugees begin to trickle back to a homeland still at war, aid agencies fear that a proposed change to UN guidelines could accelerate the pace of returns.

At least 5.1 million people have left Syria during the six-year conflict, with most seeking safety in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) deemed the threat of violence and detention in Syria so grave that it has supported many of the refugees in the region.

But as the influx strains economies and deepens political tensions, host governments have discouraged refugees from settling permanently.

In Lebanon this year, Syrian refugees have been evicted from makeshift displacement camps. In Jordan, hundreds of Syrian refugees are being deported across the border monthly with little warning and no recourse.

Aid agencies and refugee advocates say they are worried that host governments might abuse planned changes to UN guidelines governing which Syrians are eligible for protection.

“That the Syrian refugee crisis was long-term and therefore needed sustainable solutions was the very clear and dominant narrative until very recently. But now there has been a shift,” said Jeff Crisp, a former head of policy development at UNHCR who is now an associate fellow at the London-based Chatham House foreign affairs think tank.