Assad needs UN assistance to repatriate refugees
By
Jesse Marks and Lina Kreidie
As the Syrian government and its allies extend control over a growing portion of Syria, they are accelerating demands for refugees to return to the country.President Bashar al-Assad’s government has a political interest in refugees coming back. The government wants international legitimacy, and significant returns would signal that it has won refugees’ confidence in its ability to protect them and rebuild the country.