Returning to Syria: Between loss and hope | DW News

Since the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Syrian refugees and the internally displaced are gradually returning to their homes – and encountering huge challenges in the process. Returning is difficult as many homes have been destroyed, the infrastructure is ailing and the nation’s recovery is being hampered by a severe economic crisis. Last but not least, the country’s political outlook is uncertain. We meet three individuals who have nevertheless taken the courageous decision to go back home:

Fatima Zahraa came back to Aleppo to raise her children in a familiar culture, while Amr Yakan gave up a secure life in Canada to rebuild his ancestors’ mosque. After losing his family in the 2023 earthquake, filmmaker Fadi Al-Khatib returned to Damascus in 2025, determined to continue realizing his brother’s dream. Despite the destruction and deprivation, these Syrians choose hope over exile and are rebuilding not only houses, but also their identity. Their stories illustrate the emotional complexity involved in returning to a country still etched by conflict. A reportage by Mohamad Chreyteh.

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