Syria ups repatriation efforts for nationals in Kurdistan Region amid regional escalation

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian embassy in Baghdad announced Friday that it has launched an organized repatriation effort for Syrian citizens residing in the Kurdistan Region, citing “numerous appeals” amid the ongoing regional escalation.

In a statement, the embassy said that the “registration for Syrian citizens residing in the Kurdistan Region who wish to return to Syria through the al-Qaim border crossing has been open,” adding that the effort came “in response to numerous appeals [from Syrian nationals] received by the embassy and due to the current circumstances.”

The embassy further noted that it has contacted relevant Iraqi authorities, which “have expressed full readiness to provide the necessary assistance and facilitation to organize the repatriation process.” It called on interested Syrians to submit the required information by mid-next week “so it can determine the number of applicants and coordinate the procedures.”

The Qaim border crossing in Iraq’s western Anbar province connects to Albu Kamal in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province and sits on a key highway linking Baghdad and Damascus, roughly 340 km from Baghdad and 450 km from Damascus. Iraq officially reopened the crossing in mid-June, resuming trade and passenger traffic after years of closure following the 2011 Syrian civil war.

According to a February 2026 report by the United Nations refugee agency, some 310,660 Syrian nationals reside in Iraq, with around 255,000 in the Kurdistan Region.

The repatriation effort comes amid the widening Iran-Israel-US war. The US-Israel campaign against Iran entered its 14th day on Friday, targeting security and military installations, as well as government institutions.

Iran, in response, said last Friday it launched more than 2,000 drones and over 600 missiles targeting US and Israeli positions. The Iranian response also included attacks by groups aligned with the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance,’ including armed factions that have recently targeted alleged US assets in Iraq.

The Kurdistan Region has endured some 270 drone and missile attacks since the start of the war, Rudaw tracking shows.

In addition to repatriation efforts from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, Syria has stepped up measures to facilitate the return of citizens caught in the crossfire of renewed confrontations between the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon and Israel.

Hezbollah, in early March, launched a barrage of precision missiles and drones at a missile defense site south of the Israeli port city of Haifa. Israel responded with hundreds of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah powerbases in Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahieh, southern Lebanon, and the Bekaa region. Fighting between the two sides has continued since.

Celine Schmitt, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Syria, confirmed on Monday that more than 80,000 Syrians have crossed the border from Lebanon into Syria since March 2.

In an interview with the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Schmitt highlighted the Syrian government’s efforts to facilitate returns through the Jdeidet Yabous, Jousiyeh, and al-Areesheh border crossings with Lebanon.