Turkey prepares “dignified return” for Syrian refugees after Assad fall
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Turkish government is preparing a new strategy to facilitate the “dignified return” of Syrian refugees following the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024, a Turkish newspaper revealed on Sunday.
The new strategy includes that starting Jan. 1, 2026, Syrian refugees will no longer have free access to healthcare in Turkey and must pay social security premiums like Turkish citizens, the Daily Sabah reported.
Turkey also plans to end temporary protection status for Syrians. The removal will require refugees to apply for residence permits, a process involving evaluations of housing, employment, health coverage, and financial standing.
Since Assad’s ousting, over 600,000 Syrians have returned from Turkey, with U.N. data indicating that around 1.2 million refugees, plus 1.9 million internally displaced people, have gone home since the regime’s collapse.