Geneva, 17 December 2024 (dpa/MIA) – Around 1 million Syrians in exile will return to their country over the first half of 2025, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) predicted in Geneva on Tuesday.

Rema Jamous Imseis, UNHCR director for the Middle East and North Africa, said this was the planning estimate. Returnees needed support in finding accommodation and work, she said.

Imseis cautioned against pressuring Syrians to return prematurely. "No one should be forced to return," she said. "We count on states to be patient and not make any drastic decisions."

It was also too early to say where in the country the returnees would be safe, and people who had lived in exile for years could not be expected to pack their bags overnight.

Imseis said there were no new border checks in Syria following the ousting of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

She added that the UNHCR was at the borders and was observing thousands entering the country from Jordan and Turkey. There were also thousands leaving Syria, she said, but added that there were no precise figures.