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Conflict in Syria

Over 2.3 mln refugees return to Syria — Defense Ministry

The Syrian side deployed and operates 13 refugee checkpoints on a 24-hour basis, Chief of Russia’s National Defense Control Center Mikhail Mizintsev noted

DAMASCUS, November 16. /TASS/. Over 2,326,000 Syrian citizens have been repatriated, among them over 952,000 from abroad, Chief of the Russian coordination headquarters on the return of Syrian refugees and Chief of Russia’s National Defense Control Center Mikhail Mizintsev reported on Tuesday.

"Thanks to the effective work of the interdepartmental coordination headquarters conducted based on the UN fundamental principles, at present over 2,326,000 Syrian citizens have already returned to their homeland, among them over 1,373,000 are internally displaced persons and more than 952,000 refugees from abroad," Mizintsev said.

He pointed out that the Syrian side deployed and operates 13 refugee checkpoints on a 24-hour basis: 11 land points, one - at sea and an aerial one. The work is organized by Syrian colleagues from local authorities, law enforcement agencies and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. In total, about a quarter of the Syrian population - over 6 million citizens - had to leave their homeland.

"The stabilization of the situation in the areas of the country under government control and the restoration of civilian infrastructure have made it possible to ramp up work for the resettlement of internally displaced persons to residential areas. All refugees are provided with permanent housing; medical and educational facilities are functioning in the settlements," Mizintsev said. According to him, since the beginning of the year, 26 temporary placement centers have been disbanded in the Syrian Arabic Republic, including 10 from September 1.

Mizintsev stressed that as a result of the current situation in the countries of the Middle East region and the improvement of the situation in Syria, including in the security field, 94% of Syrians in Jordan have already expressed their desire to repatriate in the ensuing year.

On November 16, a meeting of the interdepartmental coordination headquarters of Russia and Syria is being held in Damascus, attended by representatives of the authorities of the two countries, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

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Syria Syrian conflict

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