When the Possibility of Return Becomes Real

At the airport's departure hall, emotions were mixed with quiet anticipation. For two Syrian families who have spent years in Libya, this day marked the end of a long chapter of displacement — and the beginning of a return they once thought might never come.

“We Left Under the Bombs”

For Seham, 35, the memories of leaving Syria in 2012 are still vivid.
“We fled under shelling, destruction, kidnapping, and fear,” she recalled. “We escaped just to survive.”

Seham arrived in Libya with her husband, Mohamed Ziyad, and their young family. Over the years, the family grew to seven — five children, three of whom were born in Libya. Life was never easy. Without residency permits, enrolling the children in school became increasingly difficult.

Where Memory and Family Meet

For Mohamed Ziyad, the thought of Damascus brings back vivid memories.
“The first place any Damascene thinks of is the Umayyad Mosque,” he said. “Then the old markets, the narrow streets of the Old City — these places are part of who we are.”

Over the years, he showed his children photos of Damascus on his phone, describing its streets and stories so they would know the city long before ever seeing it.

Seham’s return is also a long-awaited reunion. One of her sisters remains in Syria — a separation stretched over years by war, borders, and uncertainty.
“I haven’t seen her in so long,” Seham said. “Just the thought of being able to sit together again feels unreal.”

A Journey That Began at 17

Standing nearby was Nour Eddine, 29, Ziyad’s cousin, who arrived in Libya when he was just 17.
“I didn’t leave by choice,” he said. “My family forced me to leave because it was too dangerous to stay”

Nour came alone at first, later marrying and raising three children in Libya.

Displacement took a heavy personal toll. Nour lost both his parents while away from Syria, never having the chance to say goodbye. They suffered complications after being exposed to chemical attacks in Eastern Ghouta in Syria.

“My dream was just to see my mother,” he said. “She came to Libya only to arrange my marriage — and passed away three months later.

Returning to Syria was impossible financially.
“For a family of five, the cost was a dream beyond reach,” he said. “This opportunity changed everything.”

When asked what he looks forward to most, Nour didn’t hesitate:
“I want to visit my father’s grave. Then I want to walk through Damascus — the Old City and the streets of my childhood.”

Hope, Carried Forward

As their children waited nearby — some excited, some shy, some born far from the land their parents still call home — both families spoke of hope more than fear.

“Fifteen years are a lifetime,” Mohamed Ziyad said. “But returning  is something we have been waiting for every single day.”

In 2025, UNHCR has organized four voluntary return flights to Syria, enabling more than 400 people to return home with dignity and support. UNHCR will organize similar flights in 2026, fulfilling the dream of many Syrians of going back to a place that never left them, a place called HOME.