The warm Turkish welcome for refugees is ending and Syrians are worried

Associated Press

GAZIANTEP, Turkey (AP) — Turkey gained renown as a haven for refugees by welcoming more than 3 million Syrians fleeing violence between forces from Bashar Assad’s government and a patchwork of rebel groups. But the Syrian president’s ouster this month has led many in Turkey to argue that the refugees have no reason to stay. That’s part of the global backlash against migration. Some Syrians are panicking about returning to a devastated nation. Many Turks baselessly accuse Syrians of taking their jobs and straining health care and other public services. Turkey has taken in more Syrian refugees than any other nation — more than 3.8 million at its peak in 2022. That’s roughly 60% of all the Syrians logged by the UN.