Syria Kurds still wait to return under Damascus deal

Displaced Syrian Kurds from Ras al-Ain are still waiting to return home despite a January deal between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and Damascus that included their return.

Residents of the Talaeh camp outside Hasakeh say former Turkish-backed fighters are living in their properties in the Ras al-Ain area, about 70 kilometres away. Some also said they feared returning because they did not feel safe.

Tens of thousands of Kurds were displaced in 2019 when Turkey and allied Syrian fighters seized a border strip including Ras al-Ain from Kurdish control during Syria's civil war.

The United Nations says about 5.5 million people remain internally displaced in Syria after more than 13 years of civil war. Human rights groups say residents' homes and belongings were seized or looted after the 2019 offensive to capture Ras al-Ain.

Abdel-Karim Omar, the Kurdish authorities' representative in Damascus, said the return of displaced people to Ras al-Ain was one of the deal's “main outstanding issues requiring implementation”.

Jawan Isso, from a committee representing displaced people from the area, said preliminary steps had been taken, including visits and de-mining operations, but “significant obstacles” remained. He cited security concerns and said the town was still under Turkish influence.

A Hasakeh province official, speaking anonymously, said dozens of families had returned to their homes in Ras al-Ain. The official said some faction members had left properties after owners approached local authorities, and said some displaced Kurds feared revenge or accountability unless they returned officially through the state.