Aid agencies warn against Syrian refugees' forced return

Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees may be pressured to return to their war-ravaged homeland this year, despite continuing violence, leading aid agencies said on Monday.

They said misleading rhetoric in refugee-hosting countries was creating the false impression that the country was safe for people to return to, even though it remained highly dangerous.

With the conflict now approaching its eighth year, more than 6 million people are uprooted within Syria and more than 5 million are refugees in neighbouring countries - mostly in Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan - and also throughout Europe.

Tensions have simmered both in the region and Europe as host nations struggle to cope with the social and financial burden of the refugee crisis, with many of the arrivals coming from Syria.

The aid agencies said deteriorating conditions in these countries and limited options for Syrians to resettle elsewhere could drive many to return home despite the dangers.

About 66,000 refugees returned to Syria in 2017, the report said.

But for every refugee or displaced person who returned to Syria last year, three were forced to flee their homes due to the ongoing violence, the agencies said in a joint statement.

TRT World's Usmaan Lone has more.