Faith, Fear, and Belonging: Return Perceptions Among Displaced Syrian Alawites and Christians

ABSTRACT This study examines how displaced Syrian Alawite and Christian refugees understand return following the fall of the Assad government. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, it draws on in‐depth interviews with 21 refugees in Türkiye, 13 Alawites, and eight Christians. Four interconnected themes were identified: deep fears surrounding political transition and identity‐based insecurity; uncertain futures shaped by political volatility, economic survival, and fragile peace; eroded institutional belonging through exclusion from governance and public employment; and infrastructure deficits that undermine the possibility of rebuilding one's life. Alawite participants more often emphasized collective blame, retaliation, and persistent profiling because of their presumed association with the former government's actions. Christian participants placed greater emphasis on inadequate protection, distrust, and uncertainty regarding whether their political neutrality would be recognized. Concerns regarding political volatility, economic survival, renewed conflict, and public services largely converged between the two groups. The study shows that return conditions are interpreted through collective memory, religious positioning, institutional recognition, and spatial belonging rather than operating as uniform push or pull factors. Therefore, return ideation depends on whether Syria can be imagined as a safe, recognized, and sustainable place to rebuild everyday life.