Photos: Syrians return home after years of displacement

Syrian residents who live in Turkey walk with their belongings at the Cilvegozu cross-border gate before entering Syria at Reyhanli district in Hatay on December 9, 2024. Thousands of Syrians tried to begin the long journey back to their homes yesterday after the end of 13 years of civil war, with huge queues forming to get into the country.

The civil war in Syria, which began in 2011, led to millions of Syrians being displaced both within the country and abroad. After more than a decade of conflict, many refugees and displaced people are now seeking to return home.

Some 880,000 Syrians have taken refuge in the Turkish provinces of Gaziantep, Sanliurfa and Hatay which border Syria.

Syrian residents who live in Turkey wait in a queue with their belongings at the Cilvegozu crossborder gate before entering Syria at Reyhanli district in Hatay on December 9, 2024. AFP journalists saw Syrians flocked to the main square of the capital, Damascus, on Monday to mark what many regard as a long-awaited new dawn after the fall of President Bashar Al Assad.

The world is still grasping the speed of events in recent days, and the collapse of a ruling dynasty that laid waste to the country during a catastrophic civil war.

A Syrian resident who lives in Turkey holds a baby as he waits in a queue at Cilvegozu crossborder gate before entering Syria at Reyhanli district in Hatay, on December 9, 2024.

The onset of Syria’s conflict in 2011 displaced millions of people, sparking a migrant crisis that still reverberates in European politics today.

A Syrian who lives in Turkey shows his Turkish temporary ID document as he waits in a queue at Cilvegozu crossborder gate before entering in Syria. Many Syrians fled the country and were separated from their families during the war. For some, returning to reunite with loved ones is a strong motivation.

Syrian residents who lives in Turkey arrive with their belongings at Cilvegozu crossborder gate.

However, returning to Syria remains a complex decision. While the conflict has diminished in certain areas, many regions of the country are still recovering from years of war and destruction.

The security situation is still volatile in some places, and local militias or opposition groups control many areas. As a result, not all Syrians feel safe returning, and some may choose to remain in Turkey, where they have established life and support networks, despite the challenges they face.

This moment at the Cilvegozu gate, where Syrian refugees are queued up with their temporary ID documents, marks a significant and emotional moment for many.

It reflects the hope and uncertainty of returning home after years of displacement, but also the deep complexities involved in making such a journey.