The number of Syrian refugees under temporary protection registered in Türkiye has decreased significantly in 2023, registering its lowest level in seven years, according to data published by the Turkish General Directorate of Migration Management on Monday.
The Directorate said that since the beginning of this year, the number of Syrian refugees has decreased by 247,143 people, while the number of registered refugees has decreased by 19,127 people in October compared to September,.
It said the number of registered Syrian refugees in Türkiye has dropped to 3,288,755 Syrians, the lowest number in seven years.
According to the age range table published by the Directorate, Syrian men make up 52,4% of the total number of Syrians. The percentage of Syrian women is 47,6%.
The data also showed that 97,7% of Syrians live in cities and that their proportion to the Turkish population varies according to the population density and residence preferences.
In June, following the May parliamentary and presidential elections, Turkish authorities launched a security campaign targeting illegal migrants and violators of residency permits, during which thousands of Syrian refugees have been deported.
Last month, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the deportation of 42,875 irregular migrants between June 1 and Sept. 22, 2023.
In statements following a meeting of the Turkish government in Ankara, Yerlikaya pointed out that about 100,000 irregular migrants have been arrested since his assumption of duty on June 1 until Sept. 22, 2023. He pointed out that such figures do not include infiltration attempts through the borders.
Separately in Syria, Turkish forces, Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continued to clash in Aleppo, amid an ongoing escalation in the de-escalation zones in northwestern Syria, known as “Putin-Erdogan” area, which witnessed fighting between Syrian forces and armed factions, while Russian warplanes hit Idlib, Latakia and Hama.
On Sunday, Turkish forces targeted the village of Sheikh Issa in northern Aleppo, injuring a civilian.
Also, Turkish forces injured a Syrian soldier when it hit a Syrian army position near the village of Mayasa, adjacent to the Shirawa village in the countryside of Afrin. The villages are located within the deployment areas of SDF fighters and the Syrian army in the countryside of northern Aleppo.
Meanwhile, Syrian regime forces renewed ground shelling on several villages in the “Putin-Erdogan” area, where they fired heavy artillery shells on the two villages of Kafr Ta’al and Kafr Nouran Villages in western Aleppo countryside.
On Saturday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said three SDF members were killed in Aleppo while trying to carry out attacks on the Olive Branch and Peace Spring areas, which are under the control of Turkish forces and factions of the pro-Ankara Syrian National Army.
Also amid the ongoing escalation in the Putin-Erdogan area in northwest Syria, the Russian warplanes launched an airstrike on the vicinity of Al-Saramaniyah village in Sahil Al-Ghab area in the western countryside of Hama.
Also, a Russian warplane fired highly explosive missiles on the vicinity of Arnaba village in southern Idlib countryside and the frontlines of Kibana Hills in northern Lattakia countryside.
In the last 24 hours, Russian warplanes carried out four airstrikes targeting positions in Telal Al-Kabinah in the northern countryside of Latakia.
A Syrian soldier was killed during fighting between regime forces and factions of “Al-Fath Al-Mubin” on the frontline of Jourin in Sahil Al-Ghab area in the western countryside of Hama.
Meanwhile, regime forces fired heavy artillery shells on the vicinity of Tadil and Kafar Taal villages in the western countryside of Aleppo.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it has documented 333 operations in the “de-escalation zone” since early 2023, including attacks, gunfire by snipers and bombardment, which left 518 combatants and civilians dead.
