The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan has launched a new pilot phase under its voluntary return program for Syrian refugees from the Zaatari and Azraq camps, offering the most vulnerable families a grant of $300.
The step comes in response to growing demand from refugees wishing to return voluntarily, according to UNHCR spokesperson Yousef Taha, who spoke to Jordan’s al-Mamlaka TV.
Taha explained that the additional support is limited to the most vulnerable families, including:
Families that include a person with a disability, someone with a serious health condition, children with special needs, or single parents or caregivers.
Large families of eight members or more who hold valid refugee documents and choose to return to Syria.
Taha added that the support comes in addition to the basic cash assistance of 70 Jordanian dinars, around $100, for each family member returning from the Zaatari and Azraq camps.
According to Taha, the one-time assistance is paid to cover immediate expenses related to return, including transportation, obtaining documents, medicines, and other needs.
The UNHCR spokesperson confirmed that cash assistance programs for voluntary return, including the additional support, depend on available funding, while any possible adjustment or increase in the value of assistance remains contingent on securing additional resources.
UNHCR’s role is limited to supporting refugees’ voluntary and informed decisions, Taha said, stressing that return to Syria is a personal decision made by refugees according to their own circumstances. He added that UNHCR regularly reviews its programs to meet refugees’ needs in the best possible way.
Taha also noted that all UNHCR services, including assistance with voluntary return, are permanently free of charge.
The UNHCR spokesperson said 6,041 refugees had received cash assistance for voluntary return as of April 25.
UNHCR data indicate that 419,950 refugees are registered with the agency in Jordan, with Syrian refugees making up the largest share, at 94.4%, or 396,640 refugees.
UNHCR data show that around 190,000 Syrian refugees returned from Jordan to their homeland between December 8, 2024, and mid-April, according to the Jordanian broadcaster.
285,000 Syrians Returned From Jordan
Jordan has received around 1.3 million Syrian refugees since the start of the Syrian revolution in 2011, according to official figures, including 557,783 officially registered with UNHCR as of March 2025.
A total of 72% of refugees in Jordan do not wish to return to Syria, according to a survey conducted by the Social Protection Observatory at Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights, published on June 1, 2025, due to security and economic challenges.
The main reasons for refusing return center on the lack of adequate housing, the absence of security, and unstable economic conditions. Despite this, some refugees are considering returning because relatives have gone back and because of the high cost of work permits in Jordan.
According to UNHCR figures, around 1.63 million Syrian refugees have returned to their country, most of them from neighboring countries. As of April 30, nearly 640,000 Syrians had returned from Turkey, around 630,000 from Lebanon, and about 285,000 from Jordan.
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