At Fuster & Associates, we understand that our responsibility as a law firm extends beyond the boundaries of our day-to-day professional practice. We believe in global justice that protects the dignity of the most vulnerable. That is why we maintain a strategic partnership with UNHCR, collaborating on projects that restore hope to those who have lost everything.
In this article, we detail the impact of our collaboration in Syria over the past year and the new humanitarian challenges we face in 2026.
2025: The year of hope and voluntary return
Following fourteen years of a conflict that caused the world’s largest displacement crisis, the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024 opened an extraordinary window of opportunity for peace. 2025 established itself as the year of return, in which millions of Syrians were finally able to realise their dream of returning home.
The figures for this period are striking:
- More than 1.3 million people returned from countries of asylum, mainly Turkey (577,313) and Lebanon (491,716).
- Approximately 2 million internally displaced persons returned to their places of origin within Syria.
- The profile of those returning is diverse: 52% are women and 48% are men, including 10% of children under the age of 4 who are seeing their country of origin for the first time.
Legal and humanitarian challenges in reintegration
Wanting to return does not always mean being able to do so immediately. Families face structural obstacles: ruined homes, lack of employment and security that remains fragile. At this stage, UNHCR’s work is vital to ensure that return is voluntary, safe and dignified.
At Fuster & Associates, we particularly value the support provided to returnees in terms of civil documentation and legal assistance, an essential legal tool for reclaiming their rights and property.
UNHCR’s comprehensive response on the ground
To ensure sustainable reintegration, the intervention is divided into six key areas in which UNHCR has worked intensively throughout 2025:
- Protection: A network of 71 community centres and over 1,500 volunteers provide psychosocial support and gender-based violence prevention.
- Safe Transport: The transfer of 31,000 people from border points to their final destinations has been facilitated.
- Emergency Items: Distribution of essential kits (blankets, mattresses, solar lamps) to over 1.2 million people.
- Shelter: Repair of over 4,600 damaged homes, restoring electrical systems, walls and roofs.
- Livelihoods: Support for over 2,200 small businesses to help families become self-sufficient.
- Cash Assistance: Direct aid to help over 36,000 families meet their most urgent needs upon arrival.
The real impact of Fuster & Associates’ contribution
At Fuster & Associates, we are proud that our contribution of €25,000 has had a direct and tangible impact. Thanks to this donation, the lives of 225 people have been transformed:
- Provision of basic aid kits for 37 families (185 people), enabling them to face their first days after returning with dignity (€9,233).
- Repair of 8 safe shelters for displaced and returning households, ensuring a safe roof over the heads of 40 people (€14,143).
2026: A new emergency requiring our attention
Despite the progress made, 2026 has brought new challenges. The escalation of the conflict in Lebanon has forced more than 200,000 people to cross the border into Syria in March alone. These people arrive exhausted, traumatised and without possessions, in a country where 90% of the population already lives in poverty.
Currently, the humanitarian operation in Syria has less than 30% of the necessary funding. That is why the continued support of firms like ours is more critical than ever to prevent cuts to essential protection services.
Our commitment continues
At Fuster & Associates, we will continue to stand alongside UNHCR so that every family returning to Syria finds not just the walls of a house, but a safe home where they can rebuild their future.
Would you like to find out more about our social responsibility projects or how you can get involved?
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