Afrin has reached an important turning point after years of forced displacement and occupation. The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have begun implementing the agreement signed with the Syrian Transitional Government on 29 January 2026 to ensure the safe return of displaced people. The safe and gradual return process of IDPs—one of the key provisions of the agreement—was put into practice with concrete steps on 9 March 2026.
Due to the occupation attacks by the Turkish state and its affiliated armed groups on Afrin in 2018, attacks against the Baath regime on 27 December 2024, and attacks carried out on 6 January 2026 by the Turkish state together with HTS and ISIS-linked groups, thousands of families were displaced from the regions of Afrin, Shehba, Raqqa, Tabqa, Manbij and Aleppo. Families who were displaced multiple times settled in areas under the Autonomous Administration such as Cizîrê and Kobanê.
Around 5,500 families are currently staying in the city of Qamishlo and its countryside, about 2,000 families in Dêrik and affiliated towns (Girkê Legê, Çilaxa and Rimelan), about 1,000 families in Hesekê, and around 500 families in Kobanê.
Within the framework of the agreement, the first convoy departed yesterday (9 March 2026). More than 400 families from the districts of Shiye, Jindires and Mabata in Afrin set out from Qamishlo and its countryside. Organized by the Afrin–Shehba Migrants Council, the convoy—consisting of 50 buses, 75 minibusses and private vehicles—gathered in Hesekê under heavy security measures and arrived in Afrin in the early hours of this morning (10 March). The public welcomed those returning with songs and drums in a festive atmosphere.
According to the Afrin and Shehba Council, preparations for the second convoy are ongoing. Within this framework, around 200 families are expected to return to villages around Afrin and to the town of Rajo.
Speaking to ANF, Afrin and Shehba Women’s Council spokesperson Sewsen Ehmed stated that the first return had been completed and said:
“As the people’s council, we prepared to return to Afrin. In the first phase, we created a plan for our people, organized them and met the necessary needs for their return. Yesterday, on 9 March, the first convoy of 400 families returned. In this process we are especially focusing on the displaced people in Qamishlo, because the largest number of IDPs are there and they are distributed across more than 120 schools.”
Stating that preparations for the second convoy are continuing, Sewsen Ehmed said: “We are now preparing for the second return. This time it will include around 200 families from the town of Rajo and the surrounding villages. We are counting our people and meeting their remaining needs so they can also return home.”
Emphasizing that displaced people from Afrin have endured great hardships for years, Sewsen Ehmed said that the return represents a major source of hope for the people. Sharing her own experience, she said: “I am also an IDP from Afrin. I still carry the keys to my house and car in Afrin. It may seem like a small thing, but it gave me great hope that one day I would return.”
Ehmed also stated that this year Newroz will be celebrated in Afrin, saying: “March 8 is the day of women’s struggle. This year we added another date to history: March 9, the day of return to Afrin. From now on, this day will be a special day every year.”
Highlighting the people’s longing for their homeland, Sewsen Ehmed cited a child returning to Afrin with his family as saying, “I have never seen Afrin, but my family told me about its beauty; now I will go and see it myself.”
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