Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun urges swift return of Syrian refugees in meeting with UNHCR chief

President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon's stance on the urgent return of Syrian refugees during a meeting with U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi at Baabda Palace earlier on Thursday. 

Aoun emphasized that Lebanon seeks the swift repatriation of Syrian refugees, citing the elimination of the initial reasons that led to their displacement. He urged Grandi to organize repatriation convoys and called on the international community to provide financial and humanitarian support to facilitate the process. He noted that several countries have already commenced the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.  

President Aoun expressed hope for continued cooperation between Lebanon and the UNHCR to achieve their shared objectives.  
 
The meeting was attended by several senior UNHCR officials, including Director of the Geneva Office Shahrzad Tadjbakhsh, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Rima Jamous, Senior Communications Advisor for the MENA region Roula Amin, Lisa Abou Khaled, and Houssam Hariri.  

Grandi congratulated Aoun on his election and recalled their previous meeting in October, praising his leadership of the Lebanese Armed Forces.  

Highlighting UNHCR's estimates, Grandi noted that more than 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their country from host nations, including Lebanon and Jordan, since the change of government in Syria on December 8. He added that the number of refugees expressing willingness to return has increased significantly, rising from approximately 1% to 30% within a few weeks, according to UNHCR surveys.  

Grandi stressed the UNHCR's commitment to supporting the returnees and noted the agency's constructive relationship with the new Syrian authorities, who have prioritized the issue of repatriation. 

He expressed the UNHCR's desire to collaborate with Lebanon to develop practical solutions for the safe return of refugees and highlighted the crucial role President Aoun can play in engaging the international community to support this effort.