IDP Return and the Complexities of Housing and Accommodation

Since 2011,  the conflict in Syria has displaced nearly half of the country’s population, with millions of Syrians forced to leave their homes, either moving within Syria or seeking safety in neighbouring countries and across the world. As the political and security landscape gradually shifts, the issue of refugees’ and displaced persons’ return has become a key topic in regional and international discussions. In this article, urban planning expert Main Kafa explains the challenges facing displaced persons returning to areas devastated by the conflict.

Since the fall of Bashar Al-Assad, approximately 750,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to their original areas, while around 7 million people remain displaced within Syria, according to estimates published by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on March 7. Additionally, since November 2024, 259,745 refugees have returned to Syria, with the largest proportion coming from Lebanon (50 percent), followed by Turkey (22 percent) and Iraq (13 percent). Meanwhile, around one million IDPs plan to return over the next year, including 600,000 within the next six months.

However, the prospects and plans for voluntary return remain unclear, as numerous measures must be taken to ensure that the return is safe and dignified while addressing its associated challenges, most importantly, the difficulty of finding suitable accommodation. This humanitarian crisis persists in the absence of a clear and sustainable political vision for peace and reconstruction, particularly as many returnees are coming back to destroyed or uninhabitable homes. Addressing this issue requires extensive international cooperation and broad humanitarian, economic, and political efforts to reach lasting solutions.

Given the urgent humanitarian need to secure adequate housing for returnees and the lack of precise estimates regarding the extent of damage to housing and its potential for restoration, emergency interventions must align with long-term policies. Therefore, it is essential to conduct a comprehensive survey at the governorate level to identify completely destroyed areas and those that can be partially restored, assess the extent of damage, and classify housing according to its habitability. Clear plans must be developed to accommodate returnees, distinguishing between short-term temporary solutions and medium- to long-term strategies.

Avoiding unplanned housing projects is crucial to preventing future crises, as seen in northwest Syria. A 2022 report by the Assistance Coordination Unit indicated that most of the land used for housing projects in northern Syria consisted of public property originally designated for governmental or educational projects, meaning that construction on such land must be overseen by the relevant state authorities and comply with clear legal standards. Therefore, accommodating returnees in fully destroyed areas necessitates the development of comprehensive plans to provide temporary housing in shelters or suitable residential units.

Utilising state-owned housing is one possible approach, as a comprehensive survey of vacant military buildings and public facilities could help determine their legal status and facilitate their repurposing, avoiding harm to existing occupants’ rights. Furthermore, lease agreements could be established between benefiting families and relevant government institutions, with limited-term contracts that can be renewed in specific cases, free of charge, while considering the estimated rental value as part of future compensation. Additionally, it is essential to assess the renovation needs of other vacant buildings owned by various ministries or buildings previously allocated to political parties and organisations.

Regional and international initiatives supporting voluntary return present an opportunity that should be seized. Collaboration with Turkey, for instance, could enable the reuse of prefabricated homes initially deployed as an emergency response following the 2023 earthquake but are now unused. 

Supporting reconstruction efforts with local community participation is vital and requires the establishment of rapid mechanisms to verify property rights, ensuring that only eligible individuals benefit. Strengthening local authorities to oversee reconstruction planning, document property ownership and sales contracts, and empower volunteer engineer networks to assist homeowners – especially in informal settlements – with redesigning their neighbourhoods is also essential.

The housing of returnees must be integrated into long-term policies that ensure sustainable solutions. Developing sustainable reconstruction plans should uphold housing, land, and property rights while preventing encroachments on public or private property except through legally documented contracts. It is crucial to avoid unregulated construction on agricultural land, and in exceptional cases, legislation should be enacted to prohibit speculative property exploitation to preserve the environment and agriculture. Furthermore, policies should be developed to address informal housing issues by establishing appropriate structural and service standards, including infrastructure, public services, and markets, and linking these projects to regional planning frameworks.

The fall of the Assad regime does not signify the end of Syria’s humanitarian crisis, nor does it automatically enable the return of refugees. Urgent and temporary measures are needed to facilitate return, but they must not replace strategic planning aimed at ensuring sustainable reconstruction, housing security, and long-term stability.