Displaced families from Afrin to begin returning home on Saturday: Hasaka governor

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Around 1,200 displaced families from the predominantly Kurdish city of Afrin in northwestern Syria are set to return to their homes on Saturday, according to the governor of Hasaka, who said preparations for the process have been completed as authorities push toward ending displacement and political detentions in northeast Syria (Rojava).

“Our goal is for no displaced person and no political prisoner to remain,” Hasaka Governor Nour al-Din Ahmed told Rudaw, adding that officials are working toward reaching a “zero displacement” stage “where no family remains in a state of displacement.”

Families in Afrin have faced repeated waves of displacement since first fleeing in 2018 during a Turkish-backed offensive.

They were forced to flee again in 2024 in the wake of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and once more this year following renewed clashes between the interim authorities and Kurdish forces in northern Syria and Rojava, which came to an end following a landmark January deal.

In mid-January, the Syrian Arab Army and affiliated armed groups launched a major offensive into areas held by the SDF. The operation led to the gradual withdrawal of Kurdish-led forces from territories in eastern Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, as well as the Kurdish-majority Hasaka province.

After weeks of fighting, an internationally brokered agreement between the SDF and Damascus was signed in late January. One of the key clauses of the deal was the return of displaced persons, including those to Afrin.

Ahmed stressed that authorities are seeking to eliminate politically motivated detentions.

“Another of our primary goals is to have zero political prisoners or detainees of opinion,” he said, adding that efforts are underway to ensure complete security and stability.

According to the governor, once the return process is stabilized, authorities will shift focus toward improving services for residents across the region.