AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – Eight years after the displacement of tens of thousands of Afrin Kurdish residents in northwestern Syria, the issue of forced displacement remains deeply ingrained in the collective memory of the city’s original inhabitants.
For them, returning is not only a human right but also a fundamental condition for reviving the land and restoring the economic and social life that once flourished before years of conflict and displacement.
Ongoing concerns
While many Afrin natives insist on returning, others remain hesitant due to continued violations reported in some villages under the control of Turkish-backed armed factions.
Residents who stayed in Afrin believe that the return of the displaced is essential for restoring normal life to the region and reclaiming seized lands and properties.
Ali Jigar, 60, a native of Afrin, told North Press that the region has seen relative improvement in recent years.
“The situation in the region has improved significantly, thank God,” he said. “People are somewhat comfortable and I believe around 80% of Afrin’s residents have returned. We hope for everyone to come back.”
However, Jigar stressed that this progress remains incomplete, noting that Afrin’s recovery depends on the return of its original inhabitants. “The land needs those who once cared for it, not settlers who have left it neglected,” he added.
He also pointed to administrative challenges imposed by Afrin’s directorate under the Syrian transitional government, explaining that many properties are still registered under the names of grandparents. This, he said, complicates efforts to reclaim land from settlers and makes the return process more difficult.
Economic hardship
Mohammed Abdurrahman, 30, from the village of Kafr Dal, described how Afrin’s economy declined sharply following the mass displacement of youth and merchants.
He told North Press that before the displacement, Afrin was a bustling commercial center in Aleppo’s northwestern countryside, with fertile and productive lands. With the departure of its original inhabitants, the city lost its economic backbone, he said.
He stressed that the return of residents to their shops and farmland would help revive Afrin’s economic and social life. “The more returnees we have, the better the conditions will become in Afrin.”
Hope for a collective return
For his part, Mustafa Haydar, 40, noted that farmers previously faced heavy levies imposed by armed factions to access their harvests. However, he said conditions have somewhat improved in recent years.
Despite that, Haydar believes the number of returnees remains too low to bring about meaningful change.
“We want the return process to accelerate. Though the number of returnees is small, we hope that larger numbers will come back from now on. We must unite and contribute to the growth of our city and remain here.”
A path toward renewal
The departure of Afrin’s skilled laborers and youth has had a profound impact on agriculture and trade. Farmlands are no longer cultivated as before, and local markets have lost much of their vitality.
Residents say that the return of the displaced would restore the region’s agricultural and commercial productivity and reestablish the social balance that was disrupted during years of war and displacement.
While concerns persist over ongoing violations and bureaucratic hurdles, Afrin’s original residents continue to express hope that their city will one day be restored to its rightful owners — and regain its place as a vibrant agricultural and economic hub in northwestern Syria.
Afrin, a predominantly Kurdish region in northwest Syria known for its olive production and relative stability during the early years of the Syrian conflict, was captured by Turkish forces and their affiliated Syrian factions during Operation Olive Branch in 2018. The offensive displaced tens of thousands of Kurds, most of whom fled to the nearby Shahba region and other parts of northern Syria. Since then, widespread human rights violations, property seizures, and demographic changes have been documented in Afrin under the control of Turkish-backed factions. Despite limited returns in recent years, many displaced residents remain unable or unwilling to go back due to insecurity, economic hardship, and administrative obstacles, while locals stress that the city’s revival depends on the return of its original inhabitants.