Syrian authorities are working to close all camps in the country by September 2027, while operating daily convoys to voluntarily return families to their areas, according to Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh, who estimated that around 141,000 families remain in the camps.
Daily convoys return families from Idlib and Aleppo
Al-Saleh said around 20% of camp residents had returned to their areas since the ministerial committee tasked with implementing the “Syria Without Camps” vision was formed. He added that the ministry was preparing a new convoy carrying between 4,000 and 6,000 families, after return trips from camps in Idlib and Aleppo continued daily for about two months.
Syria Without Camps strategy launched in May 2026
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa launched the national “Syria Without Camps” strategy in May 2026. Muhammad Bakir, director of the Northern Department of Social Affairs and Labour in al-Dana, said Thursday that a convoy carrying around 320 families had returned to areas in the countryside of Idlib, Aleppo, Hama and Homs.
Bakir said the plan includes providing transport and aid in coordination with humanitarian partners, noting that registration for those wishing to return continues at a rate of three convoys a week, as part of efforts to reach the goal of “zero tents”. On the debris file, al-Saleh estimated its volume in Syria at around 50 million cubic metres and said that 3 million cubic metres had been removed during eight months of 2026.
He added that the work includes recycling debris into building materials and using the remainder to rehabilitate roads. The plan aims to clear debris from Deir ez-Zor by the end of 2027, then achieve a debris-free Syria by mid-2028. Al-Saleh identified four main files on which the ministry is working: mines, camps, debris and fires.
