The number of Syrian refugees returning voluntarily to Syria from Jordan has been "slightly" rising since a tripartite agreement to back a ceasefire in south-west Syria went into effect early July, the Jordan Times reported Tuesday (November 28th).
In October, there were some 750 returns from Jordan to Syria, compared with 1,078 voluntary returns in September, 1,203 in August and about 631 in July.
The increase is more evident when the October figure is compared to the first six months of the year when 1,700 refugees voluntarily returned to Syria, said Olga Sarrado Mur, associate external relations officer at UNHCR.
The UNHCR, however, said the numbers were not very significant compared to the overall Syrian refugee population.
"Despite the increase in absolute figures, we are still talking about very small numbers [less than 0.2% of the overall Syrian refugee population in Jordan], as refugee communities are rightfully cautious about the relative calm created by the ceasefire that took effect on July 9th," Mur said.
"Improvement of security is not all that matters for returns," she said. "It is an important element, but there are many other reasons to consider too, like family reunification, which is the main reason mentioned by refugees returning from Jordan to Syria, followed by economic pressure."
The UNHCR believes that conditions for refugees to return in safety and dignity are not yet in place in Syria, she said, noting that the organisation neither facilitates nor promotes returns.
"There remain significant risks for civilians inside Syria, and UNHCR counsels refugees accordingly to allow for informed decision making," Mur added.
