According to data from the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM), the number of Syrians under temporary protection in Türkiye was 14,237 in 2012. This number reached 1.5 million in 2014 and peaked at 3.7 million in 2021. However, with the return process that began after Dec.8, 2024, this number has started to decrease. According to the latest figures in 2026, the number of Syrians under temporary protection has fallen to 2.2 million. Despite this, according to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Türkiye is still the country hosting the largest number of Syrians.
There are also Syrians who entered Türkiye illegally. Türkiye has been resolutely fighting this group from day one. According to PMM data, 23,469 Syrian irregular migrants were apprehended in 2021, 45,909 in 2022, 58,621 in 2023, 50,641 in 2024, 22,515 in 2025, and 7,024 in the first five months of 2026. Consequently, Türkiye protects Syrians who have sought refuge legally, while not allowing those who enter the country illegally to pass through.
According to PMM data, the number of Syrians who have returned from Türkiye since 2016 is 1.4 million. This means that nearly 40% of the peak Syrian population in Türkiye in 2021 has returned to Syria. Specifically, the number of those who voluntarily returned after Dec. 8, 2024, is 667,565. If the current political atmosphere in Syria is maintained, it is expected that another 200,000-250,000 Syrians will leave Türkiye and return to their country by the end of this year.
