Comprehensive Protection and Solutions Strategy: Protection Thresholds and Parameters for Refugee Return to Syria

The conflict in Syria continues to drive the largest displacement crisis in the world. There are over 5.4 million refugees across the region and over six million people remain internally displaced. While fighting continues in some parts of Syria, recent developments on the ground have also meant that people have returned to areas where fighting has receded.

There were over 840,000 returns in Syria in 2017: the self-organized return of over 77,0001 Syrian refugees, as well as over 764,000 IDPs.

UNHCR’s overall approach towards Syrian refugees is anchored in a comprehensive protection and solutions strategy. This seeks to:

1. support host country resilience;
2. enable refugee self-reliance;
3. expand access to resettlement and other safe pathways to a third country, and;
4. plan for voluntary repatriation of refugees to Syria when conducive conditions are in place. The approach is, by design and necessity, grounded in partnership and collaboration with all stakeholders.