Syrians who have spent years living precariously in Turkey say they finally feel able to return home after the fall of Bashar Al Assad, despite the challenges ahead in rebuilding the country after more than 13 years of war.
Many are expecting emotional reunions with family members from whom they have been separated for too long. Youssef Ismail, 28, was among about 100 people queuing on Wednesday at the Cilvegozu border crossing in Turkey’s Hatay province. He was waiting for Turkish officials to process his papers so he could return to his parents in Homs, whom he had not seen for about a decade.
“You can’t really describe how it feels, not seeing your family for eight years,” he said, amid a huddle of men queuing at the border. “It’s really tough.”
A painter and decorator in Hatay, Youssef said he had been planning to finish some work in Turkey before returning to his parents, but he could not bear being away from them any longer.
“I honestly couldn’t wait any more,” he told The National. “I have hope that Syria will be better, and stable. It’s the end of the oppression.”
In the past few days, after the fall of the Assad regime, Turkey has opened three border crossings with Syria for those wanting to return home voluntarily.
More than 3.5 million Syrians are registered with the UN’s refugee agency in Turkey. That makes the country the largest host of Syrians who fled their homes after a brutal crackdown on the 2011 anti-government protests, which spiralled into civil war.
In figures released three days before Mr Al Assad’s fall, Turkey’s migration management authority said that the number of registered Syrians in the country was down to 2.9 million – the disparity in the government and UN numbers is attributable to both voluntary and forced returns that preceded the rebels' advances into Damascus.
Turks initially welcomed Syrians, sympathetic to the violence they faced at home, and employed them in jobs for longer hours and on lower wages than most nationals are willing to accept. They received “temporary protection status,” which does not grant them full refugee rights, because of a quirk in legal interpretations that means Turkey only recognises people fleeing Europe as refugees.
Ankara has received billions of dollars from the EU and other donors to provide services for Syrians, including health care and education. But anti-migrant sentiment has grown in Turkey and Syrians have found themselves less welcome. After Mr Al Assad as ousted, Turkish officials encouraged Syrians to go home.
“We can never allow Syria to become a land of chaos, and we can never accept any provocation against the safe and voluntary return of the Syrian people to their homeland,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Turkish politicians this week.
All the returning Syrians interviewed at the border on Wednesday gave Mr Al Assad’s fall from power as the main reason they now felt able to go home. Many said they feared the detention, torture, and military conscription that were widespread under Mr Al Assad’s rule.
“We are returning because the oppressive regime is gone,” said Mohammed Suleiman Jiha, 34, who had been working as a stonemason in south-eastern Turkey. “It killed and displaced its people. I hope the regime is held accountable.”
He said his home in the eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus had been destroyed during the conflict but that did not stop him from wanting to return. “I’ll sleep in a tent. The important thing is that I’m going back.” said Mohammed.
A queue of people bundled up in coats and hats, dragging suitcases and rucksacks, shuffled into a mobile office staffed by Turkey’s migration management authority to hand over their residency permits before proceeding to the border crossing point. Children snacked on simits – Turkish bagels – and men smoked cigarettes.
According to a member of the Turkish security forces at the border, the residency permits of Syrians are cancelled on exit – making it extremely difficult for them to come back and live in Turkey.
“People want to return to their country,” the force said.
My home is destroyed but we will build it back room by room. We will create work, open shops, the more people go back, the better
Ahmed Al Awad,
24
Turkey’s migration management authority was unable to provide exact figures on how many Syrians had returned home from Turkey since Mr Al Assad’s fall and although some Syrians are choosing to return voluntarily, Ankara still has obligations towards people who decide the time is not yet right.
“States that host Syrian refugees need to keep focusing on the voluntary nature of returns,” Nadia Hardman, refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, told The National. “It has been just a matter of days since Syria’s liberation and refugees everywhere have the right to take the time and space to make an informed and voluntary decision over when is good for them to return.”
Among them is Miskat Hilayel, 31, from Kafrnabel in Idlib province. He had returned across the border into Turkey after a visit to Syria to seek information on his brother, who disappeared after being detained by Mr Al Assad's security forces.
“Our home is destroyed, and there are mines everywhere,” he said – an indication of the dangers and destruction in Syria after so many years of conflict. “We will wait a while before returning.”
Not everyone’s attempt to return home has been smooth. Bassem Ahmer, 25, from Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province, said he had been turned away by border authorities over an issue with his records. A Palestinian-Syrian, he was deported back to Turkey from Bulgaria after trying to enter Europe about a year ago. Upon return, Turkish authorities took his fingerprints and he registered himself as Palestinian to avoid the risk of deportation to Syria. But that now does not match his identity card, which is Syrian, meaning border authorities turned him back at Cilvegozu.
Syrians going home from Turkey are well aware of the challenges ahead of them. The country’s infrastructure has been destroyed and its economy has suffered under the weight of corruption, sanctions and mismanagement. Returnees said that the more people went back, the more chance there was of the embattled Syrian economy improving.
“My home is destroyed but we will build it back room by room,” said Ahmed Al Awad, 24, who was returning to Syria with his wife Majda and his two-year-old daughter, Sham. “We will create work, open shops, the more people go back, the better.”
Syria’s new leaders should provide a stable and secure home for their families, they added, still in shock at the speed of the sea change in their country. They want to create a new era of unity among Syria’s many different ethnic and religious groups. “We don’t have a problem with Alawites, Christians, or Muslims. It was Bashar who was the oppressor,” said Mohmmed Jiha, as he turned to join the queue of people moving towards the border.
The change “was a surprise to us,” he added. “In the space of ten days, Syria was ours.”
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
ON%20TRACK
%3Cp%3EThe%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Assembly%20will%20host%20three%20main%20tracks%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEducate%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Consists%20of%20more%20than%2010%20in-depth%20sessions%20on%20the%20metaverse%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInspire%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Will%20showcase%20use%20cases%20of%20the%20metaverse%20in%20tourism%2C%20logistics%2C%20retail%2C%20education%20and%20health%20care%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EContribute%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Workshops%20for%20metaverse%20foresight%20and%20use-case%20reviews%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers
Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.
It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.
The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.
Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.
Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.
He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.
AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”
A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.
Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.
Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.
Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.
By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.
Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.
In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”
Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.
She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.
Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.
WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Poacher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERichie%20Mehta%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nimisha%20Sajayan%2C%20Roshan%20Mathew%2C%20Dibyendu%20Bhattacharya%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
More on animal trafficking
More on Quran memorisation:
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
