The number of Syrian refugees voluntarily returning from Jordan to Syria continues to rise, with returns ongoing since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
Yousef Taha, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan, said more than 203,500 Syrian refugees registered with the agency returned to Syria between December 8, 2024, and June 30, 2026.
The number of returnees had risen to more than 208,000 refugees by July 18.
Taha said the pace of returns improved in recent months, with the number of returnees increasing from about 5,000 in May to nearly 6,900 in June.
Despite this increase, the weekly average remains significantly lower than last year. According to the regional update on Syrian returns for April and May 2026, between 1,000 and 1,300 people returned each week, compared with an average of about 3,000 people per week during 2025, Jordan’s Al-Mamlaka television channel reported.
Taha added that 7,277 refugees had benefited by the end of May from a cash assistance program supporting voluntary returns from the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps. The assistance was used mainly to cover food and transportation expenses and repay debts.
According to Taha, 270 refugee families also earned about $300,000 by selling 530 caravans in Zaatari camp before returning to Syria.
UNHCR in Jordan also launched a new pilot phase under its voluntary return program for Syrian refugees living in the Zaatari and Azraq camps. The initiative provides grants of $300 to the most vulnerable families.
The measure was introduced in response to growing demand from refugees seeking to return voluntarily, UNHCR spokesperson Yousef Taha previously said.
Funding Shortfall
Regarding funding for UNHCR operations in Jordan, Taha said total available funding during the first half of 2026 amounted to about $77.7 million, covering only approximately 28% of the agency’s financial requirements.
He added that the funding shortfall had reached about $202.3 million, equivalent to 72.25% of total requirements as of June 30. Taha stressed that available funding remained far below the amount needed to implement UNHCR operations in Jordan.
426 Syrian Refugees Leave Jordan for Resettlement
A total of 426 Syrian refugees left Jordan for resettlement countries during the first half of 2026, according to UNHCR data.
The number of new resettlement submissions during the same period reached 513, including 116 Syrian refugees.
UNHCR said in a report that resettlement is one of the durable solutions available to refugees. It involves transferring refugees from their country of asylum to another country that has agreed to receive them and grant them permanent residence. The agency said resettlement is also an essential protection tool and represents responsibility sharing and solidarity with Jordan in hosting refugees.
The agency identifies refugees with the greatest protection needs, assesses their eligibility for resettlement, and refers their cases to receiving countries. It also supports selection missions organized by those countries and facilitates departure arrangements within the available quotas.
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