DAMASCUS - More than 270,000 Syrian refugees have returned since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024, with over a quarter of those still abroad expressing a desire to return in the coming months, said a senior official from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday.

Aseer Madaien, deputy representative of the UNHCR mission in Syria, told Xinhua that since Dec 8, when a militant coalition toppled al-Assad's government, the agency has tracked a significant increase in refugee returns, signaling a shift in migration patterns.

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"We have monitored the return of 270,000 Syrian refugees since the political transition began," Madaien said. "If the availability of essential services improves, we expect this number to rise even further."

A regional UNHCR survey indicated that 27 percent of Syrian refugees surveyed expressed willingness to return to Syria within the next year -- a substantial increase from just 1 percent in the previous year, she added.

"This rise is significant and reflects a growing confidence among Syrians in returning home," Madaien noted.

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Despite the uptick in returns, many refugees remain hesitant due to persistent challenges.

According to Madaien, major obstacles include a lack of housing, deteriorating public services, and limited employment opportunities.

"Many Syrians have no homes to return to," she said, adding that some internally displaced people who returned found themselves without shelter.

Additionally, humanitarian organizations are struggling to meet the needs of returning refugees. "The funding crisis is a major challenge. Ensuring that returnees have access to dignified living conditions is critical," she said.

Talking about the Syrian refugee camps in neighboring countries, the UNHCR official said the fate of the camps depends on the level of support provided inside Syria.

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"The closure of refugee camps will only happen when conditions inside Syria improve," she explained. "At the moment, we have not seen any neighboring country ... actively pushing for large-scale refugee returns. They still believe the process should be gradual."

According to UN statistics, more than 13 million Syrians were forcibly displaced due to over a decade of war in the country. UNHCR officials have emphasized that ensuring safe and sustainable returns will require long-term investments in infrastructure, economic recovery, and legal protections for returnees.