Syrian Refugee Hopes to Return Home After Assad Regime’s Collapse

A Syrian refugee, absent from his native country for 14 years, expresses a desire to go back to his birthplace and commemorate his people’s freedom. Nour Al-Baarini, who relocated to Birmingham with his family in 2016, described his astonishment upon witnessing the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year administration. Mr. Al-Baarini recalls the precise moment he departed his residence on January 29, 2012, at 11:00 GMT, and informed the BBC that he has yearned to return home ever since. He stated, “I want to go back to where I grew up and celebrate being free.” Syrian opposition forces concluded Assad’s governance, seizing the capital and compelling the president to flee on Sunday. Mr. Al-Baarini, currently pursuing a PhD, recounted an emotionally charged 48-hour period over the weekend. He conveyed to BBC Radio WM: “I did not sleep for 48 hours trying to talk to my people for pictures and videos of what was happening. I wish I was there now.” He continued, “It’s a shock to see all of these things happening within 11 days. I want to be there after 14 years being away from my home – Syria is finally free.” Assad sought refuge in Russia in the early hours of Sunday, where he and his family were granted asylum, following the rebels’ capture of the capital, Damascus. According to the UK-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, nearly 60,000 individuals were subjected to torture and killed in prisons operated by Assad. The civil war resulted in the deaths of over half a million people and the displacement of millions more. The computing lecturer commented: “I have family members who have disappeared since 2012. We don’t know anything but we have hope they are still alive.” He added, “It’s very emotional and heart-breaking. There are mothers that still have hope their sons and daughters are still alive.” He further stated, “We want no more conflicts, no more war. Our hope is peace and stability we want leaders to listen to us and not ignore the people.” Mr. Al-Baarini observed that Syrian citizens, who had previously been too intimidated to speak out under the regime, were now able to do so. He explained, “I couldn’t say a word. Even when I came to England I couldn’t say anything because that would harm anyone that is related to me back home.” He elaborated, “We were afraid of talking even though we weren’t there. We were forced to leave our homes, forced to do and say a lot of things. “It shaped who we are as people. Now we can tell what happened with us – we can say what happened in the last 55 years.” Regarding returning to his homeland, he mentioned that some of his friends were departing the UK immediately. He shared, “I have friends going back tomorrow to live [there]. We are so attached to our lands and our home. We were forced to be refugees. “Even if I had to sleep on the streets I wouldn’t mind it, it’s the place I was born.”