A Year Later, Resettlement of Syrian Refugees Remains an Urgent Priority

This paper is the result of desk research and of IRAP’s legal work with Syrian clients throughout the civil war and especially over the past year (December 2024 – December 2025, during which we counseled and/or represented approximately 781 clients from Syria). It examines the following questions: Do conditions in Syria over the past year, now, and as they are likely to be in the near future, justify the significant reduction of resettlement targets for Syrians and parallel emphasis on voluntary repatriation over other durable solutions by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)? And do conditions in Syria justify decisions by resettlement countries to significantly reduce resettlement admissions targets for Syrian refugees, exclude Syrians from relocation programs, and end other forms of protection for Syrians, including for those facing the highest protection risks?