After Assad’s fall, Syrian refugees in Lincoln face choice on whether to return

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Many Syrians celebrated after the fall of former President Bashar Assad’s regime, but some say the danger is far from over.

An estimated 7 million people were displaced during Syria’s long civil war.

Just this year, 200 Syrians have come to Catholic Social Services in Lincoln for assistance.

The war is over, but their lives remain in limbo, as the needs are still overwhelming in Syria.

Food, medical care and mental health services are among the most urgent.

“Especially now, without any control from the government and the resistance forces still have not fully controlled everything, so there’s some chaos which was expected from people having lived in poverty all this time,” said Maed Alkoutaini, a Syrian refugee who has been in Lincoln for 12 years.

The lack of basic services and ongoing political instability make returning home a dangerous prospect for some.

But some are ready.

“A lot of people have already started preparing to go back, a lot of refugees in other countries especially whose conditions are not as good as, like, in the U.S.,” Alkoutaini said. “But they are still wanting to see how those conditions would change.”

And for those who dream of returning, what kind of Syria would they come home to?

“If I go back right now to where I’m from, I wouldn’t know the people that lived around me,” Alkoutaini said. “A lot of people changed. Like, people moved to other countries, people moved to other cities. And I think home is not only by the place, it’s by the people around you.”

Alkoutaini said for many Syrians, the future remains uncertain, but their resilience and hope for a better tomorrow continues.

He said their story is one of survival and relentless search for peace.

“We’re all one and should not be divided inside of Syria,” Alkoutaini said. “Like, we should be all one people and have our freedom and our democracy.”