Millions of Syrians displaced to neighboring countries by the country's civil war now face a dilemma: whether to return to their war-devastated homeland to start from square one or continue to stay in the countries where they have already built a new life. Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, millions of Syrians have been forced to seek refuge in Türkiye, Iraq and other neighboring countries. Türkiye is home to approximately 3.5 million registered Syrian refugees, according to official statistics. Six of the 11 border crossings between Türkiye and Syria are currently open, and the Cilvegozu border crossing in Hatay is the largest of them. The crossing is currently open around the clock, with online same-day appointment travel permits available, and additional support provided by volunteers, including language translation and baggage handling services. "My name is Mohammed al-Sabah. I'm from Aleppo and I have been living in Türkiye for 10 years. My house in Syria was destroyed in an air strike many years ago, but I had to go back to Syria to rebuild our country," said a 62-year-old Syrian refugee. Syria has been devastated by years of war, and for many Syrian refugees, Türkiye's encouragement policy is not enough to dispel their practical concerns, and it is still a problem for them to decide whether to return or to stay. For many Syrian families who have spent years in Türkiye, roots have been firmly established. Abdulkadir Al-Hasan, a 35-year-old Syrian refugee, has established a new life in Türkiye, where he is able to support his family through his skills as a heavy machinery operator, including driving excavators and harvesters. "We used to live in Hama in Syria but the whole city was destroyed. My brother went back last week, only to find that there was no water, no electricity, and no job. It is impossible to live there," said Hasan. Torn between the life he has built in Türkiye and the pull of his homeland, Hasan finds himself in a difficult position. "The schools back home have not been restored, so for the sake of our children's education, we have to stay. I will consider going back if order is restored in Syria and the country is on its feet again, but now there is only a title for the government, but nothing else," Hasan said. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also warned of the challenges facing the returnees. "There is this humanitarian crisis ongoing inside Syria, some still say the security situation is still fragile in many parts of Syria," said Selin Unal, spokesperson of the UNHCR in Türkiye. SHOTLIST: Hatay, Türkiye - Feb 28, 2025 1. Aerial shots of road to border crossing; 2. Road sign, views seen from moving vehicle; 3. Cilvegozu border crossing; 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammed al-Sabah, Syrian refugee (starting with shots 2-3/ending with shot 5): "My name is Mohammed al-Sabah. I'm from Aleppo and I have been living in Türkiye for 10 years. My house in Syria was destroyed in an air strike many years ago, but I had to go back to Syria to rebuild our country."; 5. Various of truck, people at border crossing; 6. Various of Abdulkadir Al-Hasan, Syrian refugee, with his family members; 7. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Abdulkadir Al-Hasan, Syrian refugee (starting with shot 6/ending with shot 8): "We used to live in Hama in Syria but the whole city was destroyed. My brother went back last week, only to find that there was no water, no electricity, and no job. It is impossible to live there."; FILE: Homs, Syria - Dec 2024 8. Various of damaged buildings, traffic, pedestrians; 9. Various of damaged school buildings, displaced people in playground; Hatay, Türkiye - Feb 28, 2025 10. Various of girl doing homework; 11. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Abdulkadir Al-Hasan, Syrian refugee (starting with shots 9-10): "The schools back home have not been restored, so for the sake of our children's education, we have to stay. I will consider going back if order is restored in Syria and the country is on its feet again, but now there is only a title for the government, but nothing else."; FILE: Homs, Syria - Dec 2024 12. Various of displaced people in playground; Türkiye - Recent 13. SOUNDBITE (English) Selin Unal, spokeperson of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Türkiye (starting with shot 12): "There is this humanitarian crisis ongoing inside Syria, some still say the security situation is still fragile in many parts of Syria."; FILE: Damascus, Syria - Dec 11, 2024 14. Various of traffic, pedestrians. [Restrictions: No Access Chinese Mainland/Orient TV/Syria Alshaab TV/Zanoubia TV/Alhurra TV/ANN TV/Al Jazeera/ Al-Arabiya TV]