Syria and areas surrounding it have served as a refuge for Armenians who fled from wars and oppressions such as the Armenian genocide. However, there were Armenians in Syria and nearby regions ever since the Byzantine Era. According to the Ministry of Diaspora of Armenia, there are about 100,000 Armenians in Syria, with more than 60,000 of them are in Aleppo. Other estimations from Armenian foundations in Syria range from 70,000 to 80,000. However, since the start of the Syrian Civil War, 16,623 Syrians that are ethnically Armenian have emigrated to Armenia.