Over 17.000 Syrians return from Turkey to Syria following quake
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – The administration of Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey, north of Idlib Governorate in northwest Syria, announced on Saturday that the number of Syrians who returned from Turkey to Syria has reached 17.666 ones.
The administration posted on its Facebook account that 298 Syrians entered Syria’s territory in the 24th day after permitting Syrians to return to their country from Turkey.
Recently, Turkey eased border-crossing regulations for Syrians holding the Temporary Protection Identity Card (Kimlik) from any of the earthquake-stricken provinces.
The new law, passed in the wake of the Feb. 6 earthquake, allows Syrians holding the Kimlik from one of the ten quake-hit Turkish provinces to return to their country for three to six months. Until recently, the government had followed a populist policy of expelling Syrian refugees and barring their re-entry into Turkey.
Syrian activists have expressed concern that Turkey will not allow their return.
In 2022 alone, 50.000 Syrians were returned from Turkey. Accusations that Turkish authorities are forcefully expelling them abound.
The Syrians crossing the border after the earthquake are not convinced of Turkey’s assurances. Many have made a life in Turkey for over a decade. Turkey hosts 3.7 million Syrians; over half live in the 10 quake-affected provinces close to the Syrian border.