To return or not? Expatriates returning to Syria oscillate between fear and hope

Shouting at the top of his lungs, “the regime has fallen, it’s really fallen!” Kamel al-Awad stood in disbelief in the heart of his hometown, Houla, beside its famous clock. For thirteen years, he had never imagined being able to stand there without fear of Assad’s army. Houla—the site of one of the most horrific modern-day massacres against children and women—was now free.

Overwhelmed with a mix of joy and astonishment, he pulled out his phone to document the moment, capturing photos of himself beside the clock he had been deprived of seeing for years. Like many of Houla’s returning residents, he wandered through the streets of his town, then made his way to his family home in the city’s eastern district to reunite with his parents after nearly a decade apart.

“I still can’t believe it really happened.”

“I still can’t believe this has really happened,” al-Awad tells Raseef22 in disbelief. “I arrived in Lebanon on November 6th from Germany for a short visit to see my cousins and my brother, Ahmed. It never crossed my mind that just two days later, I would be able to enter Syria without fear, to see my mother and father, whom the regime deprived me of for ten years, as well as the rest of my siblings who returned to northern Syria after being displaced from Homs in mid-2018 when Assad’s forces took control of the city with Russia’s support.”

Kamel’s journey from Germany to Lebanon was initially meant as a brief visit to reconnect with family. Little did he know that within days, he would cross the border to Syria without fear and reunite with his parents after a decade of forced separation.

Before leaving Syria, al-Awad had worked as a photographer for Houla Media Office and volunteered with several humanitarian organizations in Homs. In 2015, disillusioned by the unlikelihood of Assad’s fall and the establishment of a law-abiding state that respected all its citizens, he left for Turkey. From there, he moved to Germany in search of a better future.

“I’m very optimistic that the Syria of tomorrow will be better,” al-Awad replied when asked about Syria’s future and whether he would return permanently. He revealed his plans to leave Germany soon and settle in Syria to contribute to its rebuilding, once security stabilizes and the authorities can control the widespread arms among the population. He urged expatriates with expertise and skills to seriously consider returning to Syria, emphasizing that the country now desperately needs them.

“Be part of the present and future of Syria instead of sitting abroad, consumed by fears about the country’s future,” he said. “Come and be part of the solution, contribute to rebuilding. Syria needs builders, drivers, pilots, train operators, experts in electricity, sustainable energy, and countless other professions.”

“Hundreds of thousands of families have had their homes destroyed, and their villages and towns lack infrastructure and basic services. Personally, my house is destroyed, and I don’t have the money to rebuild it or even construct a single room. Where will I live?””

He also encouraged those with financial resources to consider transferring their investments to the “new Syria” to help boost the national economy. Their return, he believes, would help dispel many fears about Syria’s future.

"Syrians, with all their diverse affiliations, sects, and loyalties, are tired of war and bloodshed. They now have enough awareness to understand where their true interests lie."

Rebuilding what Assad destroyed

“Where are the intellectuals now? It’s time for Syria’s educated and young people, who earned degrees and gained expertise during their years in exile as expats, to step forward,” Syrian journalist Muhannad al-Bakkour, who recently returned to his hometown of Homs from Turkey, tells Raseef22. “Just as fighters played a pivotal role in toppling Assad, the biggest role now falls on the intellectuals and skilled professionals. Come back and help rebuild what Assad destroyed over 13 years of war against the Syrian people.”

Images from last month showing hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Damascus, Homs, Hama, Tartus, Latakia, and other towns, singing and dancing in celebration, are a testament to the fact that the Syrian people—across all sects, ethnicities, and regions—are weary of war and bloodshed and yearn for a life free from the horrors they had lived in the past decade.

When asked about concerns that Syria could turn into another Afghanistan, given that militant group Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) played a major role in the last ‘liberation battle,’ al-Bakkour responded that “it’s impossible for Syria to become a second Afghanistan for several reasons.

“First, Syria is a country with significant cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity, and its people will not accept the imposition of a single religious or political ideology.

“Second, the barrier of fear among Syrians has been broken,” he explained, referencing protests in Idlib, the stronghold of HTS, a few months ago in response to some of the group’s policies.

“Don’t forget there’s an international community monitoring the situation. It expects the interim authorities in Damascus to honor the assurances they’ve given to the global community and Syrian minorities, ensuring Syria doesn’t become a state dominated by a single religious or political identity.

“It’s true that I am very optimistic and encourage everyone to return. But we all know that returning is not easy, especially for those living in tents and refugee camps in northern Syria. Their return is closely tied to reconstruction. Hundreds of thousands of families have had their homes destroyed, and their villages and towns lack infrastructure and basic services.”

Using his own situation as an example, Muhannad shared that, for instance, his house was destroyed. “And I don’t have the money to rebuild it or even construct a single room. Where will I live?”

Syrians are tired of war

The lack of communication infrastructure, particularly in Damascus, has made it difficult to reach more individuals who successfully returned to Syria in the days following Assad’s fall. However, images from last month showing hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Damascus’s Umayyad Square, Homs’s Clock Square, Hama’s Assi Square, and other public squares in Tartus, Latakia, and other towns, singing and dancing in celebration of Assad’s fall, speak volumes. These images are a testament to the fact that the Syrian people—across all sects, ethnicities, and regions—are weary of war and bloodshed and yearn for a life free from the horrors they had lived in the past decade.

“I am very optimistic and encourage everyone to return, but we all know that returning is not easy, especially for those living in tents in northern Syria. Their return is closely tied to reconstruction.”

"There must now be an increase in dollar remittances and transfers from Syrians abroad, as well as the reintegration of expatriate capital into the Syrian economy,” says Syrian journalist Saif Azam. “Efforts should also be made to restore the flow of Arab and foreign investments to support reconstruction projects."

Azam also called on expatriates to open bank accounts in Syrian banks and deposit funds in them, even as little as one thousand dollars.

The road ahead for Syria remains fraught with challenges, but for the first time in many years, hope is beginning to take shape in the minds of many. As calls for skilled professionals, expatriates, and investors to return grow louder, the focus is shifting to rebuilding a country deeply scarred by years of war. Though much remains uncertain, Syrians, tired of conflict and united by a shared vision of a better future, are taking the first steps toward creating a more stable and prosperous tomorrow.