For many Syrian households, the monthly transfer arriving from Germany, Türkiye, or the Gulf was never a simple financial supplement. Over years of conflict and economic collapse, these remittances evolved into dependable lifelines, sustaining the essentials of daily life: rent, electricity, food, medicine, and the repair of homes damaged by war.
World Bank estimates based on a 2022 survey indicate that 37 percent of Syrian families relied on remittances averaging approximately fifty-seven dollars a month, a sum that represented more than one third of their total income.
Today, as significant numbers of Syrians return from countries of refuge and residence, this economic equation is undergoing a profound shift. The individual who once sent money from abroad now lives inside Syria and must secure a local income to support his own household. For families that depended heavily on external funds, the return of a son or brother does not simply increase the number of people under one roof. It often reduces or eliminates the very income source that sustained their basic needs for years.
The Remittance as a Household Salary
For a long time, many Syrian families built their budgets around the income of a relative living abroad. As long as the remittance arrived regularly, households often did not consider themselves poor, even when they had no stable domestic earnings.
Typically transferred at the beginning or middle of the month, the funds were immediately allocated to rent, groceries, medicines, and school fees. In some cases, relatives abroad also financed home repairs or the purchase of essential appliances.
“We never viewed the money my brother sent as extra pocket money. It was our household salary,” says Nour Abdullah, speaking to Syria TV. “When the remittance arrived, we knew rent, food, and medicine were covered. We had no other regular income to rely upon.”
Her experience reflects a broader pattern across Syria, where external funds gradually shifted from occasional assistance to a functional substitute for local wages.
The Return of the Breadwinner and a Shrinking Income
When a migrant worker returns home, the family’s internal economic structure changes. Previously, that individual covered his living expenses abroad while sending part of his earnings to relatives in Syria. Upon returning, he must secure housing, food, transportation, and family maintenance locally, all while searching for employment in a severely constrained market.
Ibrahim Khalifa, a Syrian who returned from Germany, explains: “I used to send a monthly allowance to my family in Syria. But I never obtained citizenship, so I decided to return. I had to look for work and began spending my savings to support my own children, which forced me to reduce the amount I sent to my parents.”
The challenge is not limited to the loss of the remittance. It extends to the returnee’s ability to find work. A UNHCR survey conducted in the first quarter of 2026 found that 30 percent of working-age respondents were unemployed, while access to formal jobs remained limited to roughly six to seven percent.
Daily Expenses Under Pressure
The impact of a reduced or halted remittance appears immediately in household spending. Families accustomed to purchasing provisions without strict calculation are compelled to reorder priorities, choose cheaper goods, and postpone non-essential purchases.
Salwa Mohammed tells Syria TV that her family changed its food-buying habits after her son’s remittance stopped following his return from Türkiye. Rising prices force her to eliminate or substitute items, a strain that intensifies as the month progresses. While food consumption can be adjusted, fixed obligations such as rent and medication offer little room for flexibility.
Medicine as a Priority
For households caring for elderly or chronically ill members, the loss of a remittance is particularly severe. A portion of the incoming funds regularly went toward specialized medicines and diagnostic tests. With the sender now living at home, families must navigate high medical costs with limited local earnings.
Saleem Hasan, a Syrian in his seventies, explains: “My daughter used to send a monthly amount to help us manage. But after she and her family were forced to return to Syria, she can barely secure basics for her own children. Today, it is difficult for my wife and me to afford our medications, so we try to substitute them with cheaper alternatives just to survive the inflation.”
Although a returnee might theoretically add to the family’s pool of able-bodied workers, much depends on job availability and wage levels. Many returnees face delays in finding suitable work, accept lower pay than they earned abroad, or possess skills that do not align with the domestic labor market. Families therefore confront a paradox: the relative who once anchored their financial stability has returned, yet must rebuild an income from the ground up.
Who Replaces the Remittance?
The return of some expatriates does not eliminate remittances entirely, since many families still have relatives abroad who continue to send money. Yet cases in which primary providers return highlight a systemic challenge: the transition from external support to reliance on domestic employment.
For households that spent years depending on monthly transfers, the return of a family member marks both the end of a long absence and the beginning of a precarious economic transition. The remittance was never merely money entering a home. It was an essential component of the household’s survival system. As breadwinners return, families confront an urgent question: where will the next income come from?
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
