Syria Outlines Roadmap to Close All Refugee Camps by September 2027
Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed Al-Saleh, has announced a definitive roadmap to fulfill the “Syria Without Camps” vision by September 2027. This initiative, part of a broad government effort to address the displacement crisis, aims to restore infrastructure and facilitate the return of residents to their homes.
According to Al-Saleh, over 200 camps have been closed to date. However, approximately 141,000 families currently remain in camp settings across the country. These actions are being carried out in accordance with Decree No. 59, issued by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, which established a national committee comprising relevant ministries and provincial authorities tasked with reconstructing infrastructure in devastated areas and ensuring the safe return of displaced populations.
Minister Al-Saleh noted that roughly 20 percent of camp residents have already returned to their home regions. Ongoing efforts include the organization of daily return convoys, which have been operating for the past two months, with preparations currently underway for a major relocation convoy involving 4,000 to 6,000 families.
Providing a snapshot of the current situation, the Minister reported that Idlib province hosts 786 camps housing nearly 458,250 people, while return areas in Aleppo contain 391 camps. Al-Saleh pointed out that 40 percent of camp occupants are currently living in concrete structures that can be administratively reorganized into stable residential communities. For those in more vulnerable situations—specifically families lacking a home or land—the government is providing support through rental assistance and job placement programs.
Regarding reconstruction, Al-Saleh stated that approximately 3 million cubic meters of debris were cleared during the first eight months of 2026, out of a total estimated national volume of 50 million cubic meters. Government planning seeks to recycle this debris for use in road rehabilitation and the production of construction materials. The state’s objective is to achieve a “Syria Without Rubble” by mid-2028, with all debris-clearing tasks in Deir ez-Zor scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.
Safety and emergency response sectors are also being upgraded. To date, 151 advanced fire response points have been established in agricultural regions, supported by the acquisition of hundreds of vehicles and the deployment of thousands of seasonal firefighters. Furthermore, significant progress has been made in demining efforts, with approximately 130,000 mines removed during 2025. The government is now establishing a national governance framework for this file, which includes the integration of drone technology to map contaminated areas by the end of 2027.
Looking toward the future, the Ministry is working to launch a multisectoral early warning system by late 2027. It is also implementing a national safety and security code to cover industrial, commercial, and tourism facilities. These steps are part of a comprehensive, coordinated approach to finalize the end of displacement across all Syrian provinces.
