The road to Syria was a breeze. The taxi driver, one passenger and I drove through the charming Lebanese-Armenian town of Ainjar and north to the Lebanese-Syrian border closest to Homs. The Lebanese officer inspected my Canadian passport while his colleague asked me to explain the difference between a photographer and a videographer. After a firm press of the stamp, within five minutes, we were on the Syrian side, where young, poorly equipped soldiers with dated AKs sat on plastic chairs in a vast desert against the backdrop of towns laid in ruins.
“Halabi-Armeni,” said the driver, meaning Aleppo-Armenian, to describe my ethnic identity. With one motion of the guard’s hand, we were off to the next several checkpoints, all the way to Aleppo. Conscription is now a thing of the past, and hopefully, it stays that way. Previously, if a family had two brothers, both would have to serve in the military. If born abroad, there was still a risk of being sent to a barracks or asked for a government bribe. Syrian law bestows citizenship on those of Syrian descent. A couple documents showing my father’s Syrian identity were enough to enter without interrogation. Eighteen years since my last visit on a family trip, I found myself back in the city where my parents and grandparents grew up. However, they say this is a new Syria. What has changed exactly for us Armenians?
Syrian-Armenian society: its foundations and adaptability
On December 8, 2024, following an unexpected turn of events for Syria and the region, the leadership generations of Syrians were born into fled under the pressure of a countrywide assault by a coalition of Syrian opposition groups led by Islamist Ha’yat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS). For decades, Syrian-Armenians considered themselves a respected group under the previous secular government, but the sudden change left uncertainty about how the new leadership would treat Armenians and other Christian minorities.
Battles in the coastal Latakia region since early March have led to the massacre of Alawites by Sunni militant groups, described as revenge killings for the years of oppression by the deposed Alawite ruler Bashar Al-Assad. These firefights, which have spread fear and panic among other minority groups, caused the deaths of two Armenians, father and son Antoine and Fati Poutros, according to various Armenian news outlets. Media access to the region has been under lockdown, yet even with the lack of coverage, these armed extremists could not resist filming themselves committing crimes against humanity, killing women, children and the elderly. Reports of widespread attacks on Christians were quickly fact-checked by multiple agencies, revealing inconsistencies, but the rumors had already instilled fear in the Syrian diaspora.
The great return
A major point of discussion among nations that accepted millions of Syrians during the 14-year civil war is the return of refugees to their homeland. According to the International Organization for Migration, since January 2024, a total of 571,388 individuals have returned to Syria from abroad, with 259,745 returning after November 2024. The Aleppo International Airport reopened its doors on March 18, 2025, with its first flight routes connecting Aleppo and Damascus. Direct flights between Aleppo and Yerevan are expected to begin in April. While the logistical pieces are in place for Syrians to return home, there are still many social, political and economic issues to consider.
On March 20, 2025, at the Armenian Prelacy of Aleppo, I sat down with Archbishop Magar Ashkarian and Jiriar Reisian, ex-MP of the Syrian parliament who continues to be a political leader in the Syrian-Armenian community.
Archbishop Ashkarian stated, “The deaths of the two Armenians, who were actually driving from Tartous to Latakia and died in the crossfire of a firefight between Assad loyalist forces and HTS, was not a targeted attack towards Christians or Armenians. There were isolated cases, such as some extremists breaking into homes of Christians in Baniyas and two Chechens in Tartous who ransacked a Greek Orthodox Church. This news spread worldwide, and I received calls all the way from Australia and Egypt. I told them there is no persecution of Christians here. A day after the incident involving a cemetery cross being broken, the state governor and military representative presented themselves to the local Arab Christian community, apologized and had the cross rebuilt.
“What’s presented in the media does not correspond to our reality here. We advise those who want to return to wait a few months. The situation will keep improving. Even if they want to return now, they will experience the same difficult socio-economic conditions we’re in right now. It will take a year to year and a half for the job market to reach a point where people can sustain themselves and provide financial security. Syrians are hard-working people, and the economy will recover very quickly once basic necessities such as electricity and fuel become widely available again.
“We remain hopeful, while still considering the fact that this is an Islamist government. We also expect the current government to reach a point where they can swiftly catch, process and jail criminals who cause chaos, but there aren’t even functioning jails right now. We do have daily problems, but we can’t let them discourage us. The time will come when we will prevail.”
The population of Syria is estimated to be at around 23,865,000. Syrian Arabs represent 50% of the population, followed by Kurds at 10%, Levantines at 10% and Druze, Assyrians, Armenians and others comprising less than 15%, according to the CIA World Factbook. With the change in government, Syria’s new leadership faces the challenge of finding common ground among its diverse ethnic and religious groups.
“We need to find the political means for citizens of Syria to reach harmony between their own communities. We won’t reach a level of normalcy without finding harmony. Relations between the Armenian and Muslim communities of Syria date back over a thousand years. When there is a death, the whole street mourns. When there is a wedding, the whole street celebrates. I say to those who want to divide us: look at our history. We are Syrians. We will continue living side by side. Those who don’t want to live as such should decide for themselves. Currently, unemployment and security are our biggest concerns. We have hope that, with time, these things will improve,” said Jiriar Reisian.
The impact of government change on Armenian schools
Antranig Boghosian, director of the Sarkis Jemberjian Krtasirats Secondary School of Aleppo and former member of the provincial council of Syria, has been the school’s principal for 26 years after holding various government positions.
“We were fortunate to live in Syria as Armenians, and I hope we continue to be so. Perhaps the new leaders are temporary, but may God create opportunities for Syria’s progress. I know that it’s difficult for us Armenians, but we’ve been given a special place where we don’t have to deal with headaches regarding the bigger situation,” Boghosian said.
The cheerful shouts of students playing in the schoolyard raised the question of enrollment and how much longer Aleppo can sustain its Armenian youth. “I can tell from the number of my students that the Armenian population of Aleppo is somewhere in the range of six to seven thousand—well below the 40 to 50 thousand we used to be years ago. I remain optimistic, but I’m also cautious about our life here. On Mother’s Day, I told my students that Armenian mothers are saints. They bring up the next generation of Armenians. I put my trust in them, and I’m happy to share this belief,” Boghosian said.
It’s important to note that national census data does not account for Syrians living abroad, making it nearly impossible for the Syrian government to obtain an accurate count. Conducting a new census would be a challenge. For example, if a Syrian couple married in 2011 and later emigrated, their children were likely never registered in Syria. However, proof of a parent’s Syrian citizenship is enough to obtain Syrian nationality or an identification card.
The decline in Armenian school enrollment has forced administrators to accept non-Armenian students. Today, Aleppo’s estimated Christian population is around 20,000—about one-tenth of its pre-civil war number. Boghosian notes that many non-Armenian students at Armenian schools are now learning the Armenian language fluently and contributing to the Armenian cause.
“At Krtasirats, we have 516 students, approximately 200 of whom are non-Armenian Christians. We can secure payments for our teachers this way. About one-third of our Armenian students study for free. This is one avenue to secure revenue. Until today, the government has not interfered with our Armenian education system, including our history and language classes,” he explained.
Boghosian says there have been no changes in the daily school curriculum, apart from the introduction of new flags and a shift from national holidays observed under the previous government to new mandatory religious holidays. Some adjustments, however, have been more strategic.
“This year, during our April 24 commemorations, to avoid igniting conflicts of interest with the current government, we will continue our genocide rememberance as usual— except that we will direct blame on the Ottoman Empire instead of the Republic of Turkey. We will still cherish our history, and continue to practice our Christian holidays and traditions,” Boghosian said.
Despite personal hardships, Boghosian remains committed to his work and the Armenian community. “I continue to live and work here in Aleppo, despite having lost my wife about 12 years ago. Yes, I do live on my own and face daily struggles, but I believe that staying here is for the benefit of our community. For those who want to leave, I used to try and convince them to stay, but now I can no longer do so. There is a life responsibility in that decision. God forbid something happens to them, I’d be guilty of that. We do expect danger, and there are irresponsible people on the streets. However, Aleppo is safer than other cities,” Boghosian said.
Foreign aid to Syria
On March 21, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that trucks carrying 10 tons of humanitarian aid, mainly food and medicine, crossed the Armenian-Turkish border at the Magara crossing. This aid delivery was the result of an agreement between Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan and Syria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hasan Al-Shaibani on January 27.
On March 22, 2025, Archbishop Magar Ashkarian, Pontifical Legate to the Armenian Prelacy in Syria, received Ruben Kharazyan, Armenian ambassador to Syria, as well as Consul General Ara Avetisyan and Consulate Advisor Davit Tadevosyan. The ambassador confirmed the arrival of humanitarian aid from Armenia to assist the Syrian people.
Western countries have also pledged large-scale support for Syria’s reconstruction. On March 17, 2025, the European Commision, through its European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, announced a commitment of nearly €2.5 billion to support Syria.
“Amid renewed hope and significant challenges after the fall of the Assad regime, the European Union (EU), alongside its member states, regional and international partners, as well as Syria’s transitional authorities, reaffirmed its support for an inclusive, peaceful, Syrian-owned and Syrian-led transition,” the statement reads.
As of this writing, the EU, in collaboration with Syria’s neighboring governments, the United Nations and other international donors has pledged nearly $6.5 billion dollars in aid for Syria. The total cost of rebuilding the country is estimated to be between $250 billion and $400 billion.
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