A total of 450,000 people were forced to migrate from Afrin, Shehba, Aleppo, Serêkaniyê, and Girê Spî to Rojava (Western Kurdistan) as a result of the attacks carried out by the Turkish state and affiliated armed factions in 2018 and 2019, the aggression against the Baath regime on December 27, 2024, and the attacks launched on January 6, 2026 by armed groups linked to the Turkish state and HTS–ISIS.
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been continuing their efforts since 2018 to ensure the safe return of forcibly displaced persons.
The return of IDPs was also included in the agreement reached between the SDF and the Transitional Government in Damascus. One of the key provisions of the agreement signed on January 29, 2026 and announced publicly on January 30, is to facilitate the return of displaced families to their homes.
Currently, 7,426 families from Afrin remain sheltered in schools, mosques, and public institutions in the Cizîrê region of Rojava Kurdistan.
On February 16, the Afrin Social Association, the Council of Displaced Persons from Afrin and Shehba and representatives of European civil society, announced in Qamishlo that families forcibly displaced from Afrin would soon begin returning to their homes. In the first phase, between 400 and 500 families are planned to return to the districts of Jindires, Mabata, and Shiye.
The Council of Displaced Persons from Afrin and Shehba stated that final preparations for the returns are underway. According to reports, discussions between the United Nations and the council regarding security and conditions for return are ongoing.
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