CILVEGOZU BORDER CROSSING, Turkey (AP) — Hundreds of Syrian refugees gathered at two border crossings in southern Turkey on Monday, eagerly anticipating their return home following the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government.

Many arrived at the border gates of Cilvegozu and Oncupinar at dawn, wrapped in blankets and coats. Some camped next to the barriers of the border crossing, warming themselves with makeshift fires or resting on the cold ground.

The border crossings correspond to the Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salameh gates on the Syrian side of the border.

Why did the Syrians leave their country?

Among those waiting at Cilvegozu was 28-year-old Muhammed Zin, who expressed his excitement at the prospect of returning to his homeland. He fled Damascus in 2016 and has been living and working in Istanbul. "Assad was shooting at us, killing us," he told the Associated Press. "Now I will return to Syria. Thank God, the war is over," he said.

Eighteen-year-old Ali, who left Damascus six years ago, had been working in the nearby city of Gaziantep to support his mother and siblings back home. "We are very happy, very happy. Not just me, but everyone, all the Syrians here are very happy," he said. "Everyone will return, no one will stay here. Everyone will go back to their families."

Turkish officials have not said how many Syrians have returned since Assad's fall. Authorities set up a checkpoint about five kilometers from Cilvegozu, allowing only Syrians with proper documentation to proceed towards the border gate, reported HaberTurk television.

How many Syrians live in Turkey?

The fall of Assad has caused widespread joy among the 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, with many taking to the streets of Istanbul and other cities to celebrate. On Sunday, Syrians also removed the Syrian government flag from the Syrian consulate in Istanbul, replacing it with the opposition flag.

Turkey welcomed Syrian refugees with open arms in the early years of the civil war that broke out in 2011, becoming the host country with the largest number of refugees in the world. Ankara believed that the conflict would end quickly and that the influx of refugees would be temporary.

But as Turkey faced economic challenges, public opinion towards refugees soured, forcing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government to seek ways to ensure their safe and voluntary repatriation.

Turkish officials now expect a significant number of Syrians to return voluntarily. "We will continue our efforts to ensure the safe and voluntary return of Syrians and to rebuild the country," said Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, on Monday.

Hundreds of displaced Syrians were also returning to Syria from Lebanon on Monday, with dozens of cars lining up to enter. The day before, Lebanese residents had handed out congratulatory sweets to the Syrians waiting to go back to their country.