Muhammad al-Deyri, a Syrian refugee in Jordan, is eagerly awaiting his return home. He stresses that his decision is not related to any bad experiences in Jordan, but rather to his desire to return to his country and resume his life there. “Jordan welcomed us, received us and sheltered us in a difficult moment, but one’s homeland remains one’s homeland,” he told Al Jazeera. At the same time, al-Deyri does not hide his concerns about the next stage: he is worried about the economic situation and the possibility of the internal conflict resuming, turning the decision to return into a mixture of homesickness and anxiety.
The situation of Syrian refugees in Jordan is entering a new phase amid the continued return of Syrians to their homeland following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. After a surge in the first few months, the pace of departures has slowed, while hundreds of thousands of registered Syrian refugees continue to live in the kingdom, including tens of thousands in the Zaatari and Azraq camps. Yusef Taha, an official representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Jordan, notes that the pace of return slowed after a significant increase at the beginning of the voluntary repatriation process, particularly following Assad’s fall.
According to Yusef Taha, 77,054 refugees live in Jordan’s camps, accounting for 21% of the kingdom’s total 366,077 registered refugees. The Zaatari camp has 45,364 residents, while Azraq camp has 31,536. The number of Syrian refugees registered with the UNHCR in Jordan is 343,142, or 93.7% of all refugees registered in the country, according to data updated as of September 1, 2026.
Jordanian Interior Ministry spokesman Abdel Karim Abu Dلو said that the number of Syrians in Jordan is approximately one million, while 231,720 Syrian refugees returned to their homeland for permanent resettlement between December 8, 2024, and September 12 of this year. The consequences of the refugees’ departure are already becoming apparent in sectors linked to their presence, especially in the governorates of Irbid and Mafraq and in the city of Ramtha in northern Jordan.
In the housing sector, apartments outside the camps where Syrians lived have become vacant, affecting demand for rentals. The presence of Syrian workers and competition in the restaurant industry, construction, painting and confectionery sectors have also declined, although Egyptian workers continue to maintain their positions in some of these fields. The economic impact is concentrated mainly on labor rather than capital, alongside declining demand for housing, certain services and local activities.
In Mafraq governorate, where the Zaatari camp is located, returning to Syria has become a constant topic of conversation among refugees—both those who have already decided to leave and those waiting before determining their future. Today, the camp looks different than it did in previous years, but tens of thousands of its residents remain there, and for many, the decision to leave depends on the conditions awaiting them inside Syria. Al-Deyri’s story reflects some of the considerations Syrians face: the decision is linked not only to the desire to return, but also to whether returnees will be able to resume work, provide for their families and live amid stable conditions in Syria.
Yusef Taha noted that Jordan has introduced a number of concessions and procedures. In July, the Interior Ministry allowed Syrians to apply for departure and return to Syria without requiring a security card or work permit, regardless of how the applicant entered Jordan and without requiring refugee status. To submit an application, applicants must be over 18 and hold a valid Syrian passport. Approval is expected to be issued within approximately one working week, and applications may be submitted online. The UNHCR says it is committed to supporting refugees who voluntarily choose to return to Syria, helping make their return sustainable, and providing advice and information about return-related difficulties, including documentation issues. From September 1, 2026, all UNHCR-registered refugees in Jordan—both those in the Zaatari and Azraq camps and those living elsewhere—will be eligible to receive 70 Jordanian dinars per person to support their return. Some families classified as belonging to the most vulnerable categories will receive an additional one-time payment of 210 dinars per family.
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What is a “security card” in Jordan, and why is its removal as a requirement for applying to leave for Syria considered an important change for Syrian refugees? — A “security card” is a document or permit issued by Jordanian security services—usually the General Intelligence Directorate or the Interior Ministry—confirming that a person has no legal problems and is permitted to access services, work, reside legally and leave the country. Many Syrian refugees do not have such a card because they entered unofficially, left a camp without permission or lost their documents. Removing the security-card requirement for applying to leave for Syria means that refugees can request voluntary return without undergoing the prior security screening that often blocked their departure. This is important because it makes return easier for those unable to regularize their status in Jordan and reduces the risk of arbitrary detention, although return must remain voluntary and safe.
How do the Zaatari and Azraq camps differ in terms of history, administration and living conditions, and why do most Syrian refugees in Jordan live outside them? — Zaatari opened in 2012 near Mafraq. It grew spontaneously and became a large town with a market, shops and an informal economy; it is managed by the UNHCR and the Jordanian authorities. Azraq opened in 2014 as a more strictly planned “model” camp with prefabricated caravans, but it is located in a remote desert area, is less economically active and is more isolated. Zaatari offers more services and social life, while Azraq involves greater control and dependence on aid. Most Syrian refugees in Jordan—around 80–90%—live outside the camps, in Amman, Irbid, Mafraq, Zarqa and other cities, because the camps are not compulsory for everyone, many refugees arrived before they were established or obtained sponsorship to leave, and they seek employment, education, family connections and more affordable housing. However, life outside the camps is accompanied by poverty, a lack of legal status and limited access to work.
Which political and armed forces currently control different regions of Syria, and how does this affect security and access to services for returnees? — Following the fall of Assad’s regime in December 2024, the map of control remains fragmented: the new authorities in Damascus, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Ahmed al-Sharaa, control most central and southern areas; the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) control the northeast; Turkey and its allies control northern enclaves; local militias are influential in the south; and Islamic State cells remain active in the desert. For returnees, this means serious risks, including checkpoints, arbitrary detention, military service, landmines and destroyed infrastructure. Access to services is limited: cities lack sufficient housing, hospitals, schools and jobs, while instability persists in northeastern and border areas. Humanitarian organizations advise checking the safety of the route and the status of the destination area before returning.
What does “most vulnerable categories” mean in UNHCR terminology, and according to what criteria do families receive the additional 210-dinar payment? — In UNHCR terminology, “most vulnerable categories” refers to refugees with particular needs and risks: women and girls who head households; unaccompanied children; elderly people without support; people with disabilities or chronic illnesses; survivors of violence, torture and trafficking; pregnant and breastfeeding women; large families; people without documents or legal status; and those without income who depend on aid. The additional payment of 210 Jordanian dinars—usually a monthly payment or part of cash assistance—is intended for families that receive a high vulnerability score in a UNHCR assessment. Criteria include income below the poverty line, unemployment, debt, poor housing conditions, limited access to health care and education, family composition, disability or chronic illness, and legal status. The payment helps cover basic needs such as rent, food and medicine; the exact amounts and criteria may change depending on program funding.
Full version: The return of Syrians from Jordan continues, and Zaatari has not emptied