logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
29m 26s

Will Syrians return home?

Vox
About this episode

Syrian refugees are celebrating the end of the Assad regime. But for Omar Alshogre and millions like him, going back to Syria is a complicated decision.

This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Rob Byers, and hosted by Noel King.

Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast

Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members

Syrians arriving at the border crossing between Lebanon and Syria to return home following the collapse of the Baath Party regime. Photo by Murat Sengul/Anadolu via Getty Images.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Today
The golden age of exercise
Americans are flocking to gyms and fitness classes. It wasn't always that way. This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Miranda Kennedy with help from Naureen Khan, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Phot ... Show More
30m 59s
Aug 22
Good Bunny
Bad Bunny is having a very good summer making Puerto Rico feel like the center of the universe. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Listen to Today, Explaine ... Show More
26m 39s
Aug 21
Trump evicts homeless people
One of his strategies is throwing people into treatment programs without their consent. Blue states are into it, too?! This episode was produced by Rebeca Ibarra and Devan Schwartz, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Andrea Kris ... Show More
26m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
The final hours of the Assad regime
President Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria, ending 50 years of authoritarian rule by his family. Over the weekend, rebels who had already taken Aleppo and Hama began to close in on the city of Homs and set their eyes on the capital Damascus.As it became clear that Assad had fled, t ... Show More
28m 18s
Dec 2024
What is happening in Syria?
Over the past week, Syrian opposition fighters have seized control of Aleppo and advanced further south towards Hama. This unexpected move has reignited what was largely a frozen conflict. In response, the Syrian Army, with support from Russia and reportedly, Iraqi militias, has ... Show More
20m 26s
Mar 2025
What is behind the clashes in Syria?
With hundreds dead after days of fighting between armed supporters of former leader Bashar al-Assad and government forces, the worst violence since al-Assad's fall, Syrians are grappling with how to move forward. Days ahead of the 14th anniversary of Syria's uprising, the country ... Show More
24m 2s
Dec 2024
What Syria's Political Future May Look Like | Emma Beals
As a journalist who covers international humanitarian crises, I'm accustomed to seeing masses of refugees fleeing their homes for safer locations. But in Syria over the last several days, the reverse has happened. Thousands upon thousands of displaced people are now returning hom ... Show More
28m 45s
Dec 2024
Assad's Regime Falls. What's Next For Syria?
After decades of brutal dictatorship in Syria, the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell in a matter of days. WSJ’s Yaroslav Trofimov reports on the rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani and how regional players are responding to political change in Syria. Further Listening: - What the C ... Show More
20m 8s
Dec 2024
What does the future hold for Syrian refugees in Europe?
Euphoria is turning into despair for many Syrian refugees in Europe. Days after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, several governments have paused Syrian asylum applications. How does this affect their status? Will they be forced to return home? In this episode: Louise Calvey, Executiv ... Show More
25m 23s
Apr 2025
A Syrian Father’s Journey to Find His Son
Suleiman al-Youssef’s son, Shadi, has been missing since the beginning of the Syrian civil war. After the Assad regime was overthrown, Suleiman found new hope when he discovered a video of a man who looked like his son outside the country’s most notorious prison. WSJ’s Ben C. Sol ... Show More
21m 26s
Dec 2024
After al-Assad falls, what’s ahead for Syria?
In an 11-day offensive, Syrian opposition fighters have ended more than 50 years of Assad family rule. President Bashar al-Assad has fled to Moscow. As the Syrian people celebrate the fall of the regime, where will their country go from here? In this episode: Arwa Damon (@IamArwa ... Show More
24m 43s
Dec 2024
Breaking: Assad Regime Falls
Tommy and Ben discuss the breaking news that Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria after rebel factions took over Damascus in a stunning sweep after 13 years of Civil War. They talk about the speed with which it all happened, what could come next as Syrians decide their own fate after d ... Show More
55m 38s
Dec 2024
The fall of Assad in Syria.
On Sunday, ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled the country and was granted political asylum in Russia. Assad's departure marks the end of his regime, a dramatic turn of events following a ten-day offensive by rebel forces starting with the capture of Aleppo on November 3 ... Show More
32m 22s