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In the picture [Hussam and his family at the Jugurthin Medical Centre after completing their medical screening ahead of their voluntary return flight to Syria. @UNHCR/Aml Albarghouti ] For a long time, returning home was not something Maha and her family allowed themselves to think about too much. Life had to be managed day by day, and there was always something more urgent to worry about.Maha is 43 years old and the mother of six. She and her family left Syria more than a decade ago, when the war made it impossible to keep their children safe.“We were afraid all the time, especially our children,” she recalls.Leaving Syria did not lead them straight to stability. Instead, it began a long period of moving and starting over. The family lived first in Egypt, and later in Libya, always looking for work, a place to live, and a way to keep their children in school.Hussam, the father, says those years were about keeping the family together, no matter how uncertain things felt.“Stability is the most important thing,” he says. “We moved from one place to another, always trying to give our children a decent life.”.When the family arrived in Libya in 2023, they slowly began to find their footing again. It was not easy; debts followed them, and past losses were never far from their minds, but they found support among the people around them.“We didn’t feel like strangers,” Hussam says. “People stood by us. Libya became part of our story, and saying goodbye is not easy. But this time it’s different – we're going home.”For the children, the idea of returning means different things. Some left Syria when they were very young. Others were born outside the country and know it only through stories.Tasneem, 24, was still a child when she left Syria, but she says the connection never disappeared.“I feel a strong sense of belonging,” she says. “I want to continue my education. My dream is to become a doctor and study at Damascus University.”Now, as the family prepares to return, some of the younger children will be seeing Syria for the first time. What they know of it comes from memories and stories passed down by their parents, of neighbourhoods, relatives, and a life that was interrupted but not forgotten.For Maha, the hope is simple and clear.“My only wish is for my children to be well,” she says. “To finish their education, and for God to make up for the difficult years.”UNHCR supports these voluntary returns, in coordination with national authorities, to ensure that families who choose to go back can do so in safety, dignity, and based on informed decisions.