Thousands of Syrian refugees traveled to border crossings as soon as news that Bashar Al Assad's regime had fallen was reported. Many of the people who fled Syria after the explosion of the civil war in 2011 want to return to their country now that opponents of the former president have gained control.

They started moving on Sunday from Turkey and Lebanon, the two countries that have hosted over the past few years the vast majority of some 5.5 million Syrians.

Scenes of joy and enthusiasm were reported at the border during this first phase of returns. Syrians smiled, applauded and sang while some waved the flag of Syria used by rebels who opposed the former Syrian president, which is different from the three-coloured one featuring two stars.

Over one million Syrians sought shelter in Lebanon during the course of Syria's civil war and some 300,000 have already returned to their home country over the past few months, even before the fall of Assad's regime, during the intensification of Israeli raids on Lebanon.

However, news of the regime's fall has intensified since Sunday (December 8) the movement of people towards border crossings, like the one on Masnaa, from which Damascus can be reached by car in less than an hour.

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Leaving Turkey

In Turkey, Syrians traveled in particular to the border areas of Oncupinar and Cilvegozu, which are about 40 kilometers from Aleppo, respectively from the north and west.

"I arrived in Turkey from Syria in 2014," said Hamid Mahmud, one of those who crossed the Turkish border to return to his home country. "God willing, our future will be good. Syria is getting back on its feet but we will not start from zero."

It is still unclear how many Syrians were able to cross into their home country from the Turkish border, but local media said those with regular documents can enter the country, while authorities in Beirut are helping keen for as many Syrians to leave as possible. Many of them live in camps and have been regarded by many in Lebanon, beset by economic and political problems of its own an unsustainable burden.

In Turkey as well, where the population of Syrians topped 3.5 million people, refugees were considered by the majority of the Turkish population as a 'problem' for the economy, and Syrian communities have been attacked in various areas of the country, including in cities like Ankara and Istanbul.

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Managing returns

Despite the opposition towards hosting Syrians by the majority of Turkish nationals, also reflected by the slogans of many political parties, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has always defended his choice to host Syrian refugees.

This led him to receive some 10 billion euros in aid from the European Union for the management of refugees, in exchange for the effort by Turkish authorities to keep the country's borders closed to those seeking to reach Europe illegally from Turkey.

According to figures provided by the interior ministry, some three million Syrians are still in Turkey and Ankara is determined to help them return home.

Along with border crossings near Aleppo, Erdogan has also announced the reopening of the crossing of Yayladagi Hudut, in the province of Hatay, some 60 kilometers from Latakia. "We will manage the voluntary return process of immigrants in a way that suits our history, culture and 13 years of an exeptional welcome," said the Turkish leader.