WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - More than 115,000 people have reportedly returned to Syria from neighboring countries such as Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, according to the UN refugee agency.
The information is based on public statements by host countries, contacts with immigration services from inside Syria, and border monitoring by the agency and partners.
The UNHCR said the Turkish Minister of Interior reported that 35,113 Syrians have voluntarily returned home.
For its part, Jordan noted that more than 22,000 people have entered Syria through its territory, 3,100 of whom were registered refugees.
The UNHCR said its teams noticed a shift in demographics of returnees from Jordan this week, with more women and children returning rather than men travelling alone.
'When interviewed, some families reported that the head of household would stay in Jordan for several more months in order to earn money that will support the family's re-integration inside Syria before joining them,' the agency said.
Approximately 664,000 people remain newly displaced across Syria, mainly in Idlib and Aleppo governorates. The majority of them are women and children.
Moreover, nearly 486,000 internally displaced persons have returned to their areas of origin, mainly in Hama and Aleppo governorates.
'Prevailing insecurity - including armed clashes, increased criminal activity, and unexploded ordnance - continues to present challenges for civilians and will likely influence the potential decision to return home faced by Syrians living outside the country,' the UNHCR said.
The number of Syrians departing Lebanon through official border crossings remains 'low but steady,' while the movement of Syrians through the Peshkabour border crossing with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has also continued, reaching approximately 300 to 400 daily.
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