UNHCR: Nearly 900 Syrian Refugees Returned from Iraq So Far in 2026

Key developments

The UNHCR announced that roughly 900 Syrian refugees have voluntarily returned from Iraq to Syria since the start of 2026, noting that each returnee receives individual counselling to confirm their decision is voluntary. The agency recalled that 6,811 registered Syrian refugees and asylum seekers returned from Iraq in 2025. UNHCR emphasized its ongoing support for those who choose to return, including transportation and cash assistance where funding allows.

Context and figures

Iraq currently hosts some 346,066 refugees and asylum seekers, about 88% of whom are Syrian; roughly 82% of Syrians in Iraq live in the Kurdistan Region, with the remainder spread across central and southern governorates. UNHCR Iraq said returns from Iraq in 2025 were lower than movements from neighbouring countries, and cited a June 2024 survey in which only 4% of Syrians in Iraq intended to return within 12 months, with many planning to remain indefinitely. UNHCR in Syria also reported larger-scale returns more broadly — citing around 1.63 million refugees who have returned overall and providing breakdowns from Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan — while Syrian authorities put voluntary returns since liberation through April 2026 at about 1.211 million. as reported by Enab Baladi