Hundreds of displaced families set to return to Afrin as SDF-Damascus agreement progresses

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than 800 Kurdish families who fled the Kurdish city of Afrin in northwestern Syria’s Aleppo province are returning to their homes after years of displacement, according to media outlets affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as the landmark January agreement between the Kurdish-led forces and the Damascus government continues to be gradually implemented.

Hawar News Agency (ANHA), an SDF media affiliate, relayed that “the return of over 800 families” marks “the third wave” following the return of 400 families and 200 others” on March 9 and April 4, respectively.

Families in Afrin have faced repeated waves of displacement since first fleeing in 2018 during a Turkish-backed offensive on the Kurdish city. They were forced to flee again in 2024 amid the fall of the long-standing Assad regime, and once more this year following renewed clashes between the interim authorities and Kurdish forces in northern and northeastern Syria (Rojava).

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.

After eight years and two months - time that Haji Tari counted down to the day and hour - the long-awaited journey back to Afrin has finally begun.

The man in his fifties, dressed in traditional Kurdish clothing, is among thousands of displaced people who set off on Tuesday as part of the third convoy returning to their homes.

Tari, a displaced resident of Afrin, told Rudaw: “Our people have found no peace of mind, neither here nor in Europe. We are happy, and God willing, all our people will return to Afrin in safety and well-being.”

The joy of return was unmistakable on the faces of those making the journey. Sitting in the back of one of the vehicles, Haji Tari’s father expressed his emotions simply: “I am going on a pilgrimage now; I am going to Paradise; I am going to Paradise.”

A long and arduous road lies ahead. The convoy departed from the city of Qamishli, with some 500 kilometers still to travel before reaching Afrin. Yet for those returning, the destination outweighs every hardship.

For others, however, the path home has come at a cost. Some families say they were forced to pay money to reclaim their homes. Adham Jawish, another displaced resident of Afrin, told Rudaw: “We sent them money and they left, and our daughter there repaired the house for us. They didn't leave until we paid them; we gave them $200, and they had already taken our belongings.”

Among the returnees are children who have never seen Afrin, yet have carried it in their hearts. Born in displacement, they were raised on stories of their homeland. They brought their belongings with them - but left behind neither their sense of identity nor their deep-rooted connection to the land they once cultivated.

Local officials previously told Rudaw that around 50,000 displaced people from Afrin are currently living across northeastern Hasaka province, spread among approximately 150 displacement centers and private homes. Of these, 1,600 have now returned in three convoys, while thousands more continue to wait for their chance to go home.

Their return to Afrin is being hindered by Arab settlers currently residing in the homes of Kurdish families displaced from the city.

“Kurdish houses must be prepared for the return of residents… but according to our information, they will not return because they have no place to stay,” Azad Othman, a member of the Kurdish National Council (KNC/ENKS) currently based in Afrin, told Rudaw in late February.

Prior to the first wave of returns following the SDF-Damascus agreement in January, many families returned to find their properties had been seized by Arab settlers, he added.

Viviyan Fetah contributed to this report from Qamishli, Syria.