Refugees of the Syrian Civil War

A Turkish tourism company has announced that it will resume tourist trips to the Syrian capital, Damascus, amidst the recent discussions regarding migration to Türkiye that hosts millions of Syrian refugees.

In the wake of increased measures against illegal migrants in Istanbul, the Interior Ministry's provincial migration administration has issued an ultimatum to Syrians under temporary protection to leave Istanbul by Sept. 24 if registered in other provinces.

Ensuring the safe and dignified return of Syrian refugees to their country remains a priority for the United Nations, but the current situation in Syria means that the conditions needed for voluntary return will require some additional time, according to the Türkiye representative to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The foundations of 5,000 residences were laid on May 24 in the Jarabulus district of Aleppo within the scope of a Turkish government project carried out in terror-free zones in Syria for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has stated that it is irrational to make a promise to send all Syrian refugees back to their homeland as they are needed for the workforce in the relevant sectors of Türkiye.

"If we say that we will send all of them 100 percent, it would not be appropriate. There is a need for employment in some jobs," he said in a televised interview on May 21.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said there are positive signs that the Syrian regime can cooperate with Türkiye for the return of 3.6 million Syrian refugees to their homeland, as well as on security matters, amid an ongoing normalization process with the mediation of Russia and Iran.

About 60,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homeland after the Feb. 6 earthquakes devastated their homes in Türkiye, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on March 27.

"Around 60,000 Syrians living in Türkiye have returned to their own land due to the loss of their homes and relatives," Akar said speaking at a military bordar post in the southern Hatay province.

Canada on March 18 moved to ease immigration for Turkish and Syrian citizens already in the country, a month after an earthquake killed more than 50,000 people in the two countries.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6 killed more than 45,000 people in Türkiye and thousands more in neighboring Syria, and devastated hundreds of thousands of buildings.

An Afghan doctor who studied medicine in Türkiye has been awarded the "International Women of Courage Award" for her work with migrants.

Zakira Hekmat, the founder of the Afghan Refugees Solidarity Association, is a physician who has been working with migrants for 14 years.

The UN human rights office on Friday called for charges against the humanitarian workers on trial in Lesvos to be dropped and said the case had had a chilling effect on humanitarian organisations in the region.