AMMAN: As Jordan steps up efforts to prepare for a voluntary return of Syrian refugees, a UNHCR study found that only 0.8 percent of them are willing to go back home.
According to the recently published survey by the UN refugee agency, the majority of Syrian refugees in Jordan prefer to stay in the resource-poor kingdom.
The survey revealed that around 97 percent of Syrian refugees in Jordan have no intention of going back home in the coming 12 months, attributing the reasons to security and economic concerns, including a lack of housing and basic amenities in Syria.
A total of 2,984 refugees were polled in the survey, which found that only 0.8 percent of them would be interested in returning to Syria, while 2.4 percent remained divided.
The study was conducted by the UNHCR between January and February this year, surveying Syrian refugees in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. It revealed that 96.8 percent of Syrian refugees residing in Jordan refuse to return to Syria in the next year (the highest percentage), compared with 95 percent in Egypt, 94 percent in Iraq and 91 percent in Lebanon.
The study revealed that a quarter of refugees who said they had no intention to return within the next year answered that they still wish to return to Syria within the next five years.
The publication of the study, however, coincides with Jordan’s move to begin coordinating with the Syrian government and relevant UN organizations to organize the voluntary return of some 1,000 Syrian refugees.
The decision was announced on May 1 following a landmark meeting in Amman of foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, also attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.
The Syrian government pledged to ensure the conditions and requirements for the return of the 1,000 refugees, a statement following the meeting said.
According to official figures, a total of 3,325 Syrian refugees returned to their war-torn country from Jordan in 2022.
From 2016 until the end of September 2022, a total of 341,500 Syrian refugees returned to Syria, of whom 64,278 came from Jordan, UNHCR said. The UN refugee agency announced the return of 38,379 refugees to Syria from Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt in 2022.
Jordan said it is providing refuge to about 1.3 million Syrians, including some 670,000 officially registered with the UNHCR as refugees, making the kingdom host to the world’s second-largest population of Syrian refugees per capita after Lebanon. Turkey has accepted 3.6 million Syrian refugees, while Lebanon hosts almost 1 million, according to the UNHCR.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi recently said that a total of 200,000 Syrian refugees were born in Jordan since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011.
Around 155,000 Syrian students are enrolled in public schools, he said, adding that Jordan will suggest the establishment of a fund to provide a “secure environment for the return of refugees.”
Jordan hosts two camps near the Syrian border: the Zaatari camp, the largest in the Middle East, and the Azraq camp. Most Syrians in Jordan live in cities and urban centers, however, where they work in certain industries.
The UNHCR said that “a record 62,000 work permits were issued to Syrians” in 2021, amounting to “the highest annual number since work permits for Syrian refugees were introduced.”
Syrian refugees have been allowed to work in several sectors in Jordan since 2016, after donor countries pledged funding and expanded trade facilitation to the kingdom under the Jordan Response Plan for the Syria Crisis.
Jordan said that the deficit in the JRP amounted to around $1.60 billion in 2022.
The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation said that the JRP’s deficit reached 70 percent of the annual budget of $2.276 billion allocated to support Syrian refugees in Jordan.
According to the ministry’s data, Germany was the top donor for the JRP, granting the plan around $211 million, followed by the US at approximately $166 million, then multi-agency funds at $86 million, the EU at $29 million and the UK at $29 million.
Fewer than 1 percent of Syrian refugees in Jordan want to return home: UNHCR study
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Fewer than 1 percent of Syrian refugees in Jordan want to return home: UNHCR study
- The survey revealed that around 97 percent of Syrian refugees in Jordan have no intention of going back home in the coming 12 months
- The study was conducted by the UNHCR between January and February this year, surveying Syrian refugees in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq
Israeli minister says he welcomes Trump’s reversal of US sanctions on settlers
The pro-settler Smotrich, in a message to Trump on Tuesday, called the move an “expression of your deep connection to the Jewish people and our historical right to our land.”
Trump’s decision is a reversal of a major policy action by former President Joe Biden’s administration that had imposed sanctions on numerous Israeli settler individuals and entities, freezing their US assets and generally barring Americans from dealing with them.
“These sanctions were a severe act of foreign interference in the internal affairs of the State of Israel, undermining democratic principles and the mutual relationship between the two friendly nations,” Smotrich said.
Smotrich added that Israel looked forward to “continued fruitful cooperation to strengthen its national security, expand settlement in all parts of the Land of Israel, and strengthen Israel’s position in the world.”
US sanctions on settlers were imposed after the Biden administration repeatedly urged the Israeli government to take action to hold extremists to account for actions that Washington believes set back hopes for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.
Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state. It has built Jewish settlements there that most countries deem illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and Biblical ties to the land.
Over 900 aid trucks enter Gaza on 2nd day of truce — UN
- On Sunday, the day the ceasefire came into force, 630 trucks entered Gaza
- 42-day truce is meant to enable surge of sorely needed aid for Gaza after 15 months
UNITED NATIONS, United States: More than 900 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza on Monday, the United Nations said, exceeding the daily target outlined in the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
“Humanitarian aid continues to move into the Gaza Strip as part of a prepared surge to increase support to survivors,” the UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) said.
“Today, 915 trucks crossed into Gaza, according to information received through engagement with Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement.”
Throughout conflict in Gaza, the UN has denounced obstacles restricting the flow and distribution of aid into the battered Palestinian territory.
On Sunday, the day the ceasefire came into force, 630 trucks entered Gaza.
An initial 42-day truce between Israel and Hamas is meant to enable a surge of sorely needed aid for Gaza after 15 months of war.
The ceasefire agreement calls for 600 trucks to cross into Gaza per day.
Fire at Turkiye ski resort hotel kills 10, injures 32
- The blaze at the 12-story Grand Kartal hotel, which has wooden cladding, started at 3:27 a.m.
- The resort is located on top of a mountain range about 170km northwest of Ankara
ISTANBUL: A fire engulfed a hotel at the popular Kartalkaya ski resort in northwestern Turkiye early Tuesday, killing 10 people died and injuring 32 others, the interior minister said.
The blaze at the 12-story Grand Kartal hotel, which has wooden cladding, started at 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT), Ali Yerlikaya said on X.
Private NTV broadcaster said three people died after jumping from the hotel’s windows.
The resort is located on top of a mountain range about 170 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of the capital Ankara.
The fire, which is believed to have started in the restaurant at around midnight, spread quickly. It was not immediately clear what caused it.
Television footage showed huge plumes of smoke rising into the sky with a snowcapped mountain behind the hotel.
Part of it backs onto a cliff, making it harder for firefighters to tackle the blaze.
Local media said 237 people were staying at the hotel, where the occupancy rate was between 80 and 90 percent due to the school holidays.
Those evacuated were rehoused in nearby hotels.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said six prosecutors had been allocated to investigate the blaze.
The health, interior and culture ministers are expected to visit the site later in the day.
Trump ‘not confident’ Gaza deal will hold
- Donald Trump however believes Hamas had been ‘weakened’ in the war
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Monday he was not confident a ceasefire deal in Gaza would hold, despite trumpeting his diplomacy to secure it ahead of his inauguration.
Asked by a reporter as he returned to the White House whether the two sides would maintain the truce and move on in the agreement, Trump said, “I’m not confident.”
“That’s not our war; it’s their war. But I’m not confident,” Trump said.
Trump, however, said that he believed Hamas had been “weakened” in the war that began with its unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
“I looked at a picture of Gaza. Gaza is like a massive demolition site,” Trump said.
The property tycoon turned populist politician said that Gaza could see a “fantastic” reconstruction if the plan moves ahead.
“It’s a phenomenal location on the sea — best weather. You know, everything’s good. It’s like, some beautiful things could be done with it,” he said.
Israel and Hamas on Sunday began implementing a ceasefire deal that included the exchange of hostages and prisoners.
The plan was originally outlined by then president Joe Biden in May and was pushed through after unusual joint diplomacy by Biden and Trump envoys.
Trump, while pushing for the deal, has also made clear he will steadfastly support Israel.
In one of his first acts, he revoked sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank imposed by the Biden administration over attacks against Palestinians.
Syria’s de facto leader congratulates Trump, looks forward to improving relations
- In early January, Washington issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance
CAIRO: Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration in a statement on Monday, saying he is looking forward to improving relations between the two countries.
“We are confident that he is the leader to bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region,” he said.
The US, Britain, the European Union and others imposed tough sanctions on Syria after a crackdown by ousted President Bashar Assad on pro-democracy protests in 2011 that spiralled into civil war.
In early January, Washington issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance.
Syria welcomed the move, but has urged a complete lifting of sanctions to support its recovery.
