UN says over 200,000 Syrian refugees return from Lebanon this year

Over 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned from Lebanon since the start of 2025 following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s rule, a U.N. official told AFP.

UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner Kelly Clements said, “Since the beginning of this year, we are talking about around 200,000 Syrians who have left, most of them on their own.”

She added that “the number is rising very quickly,” noting that the majority of returnees are heading to the central Syrian provinces of Hama and Homs, and to Aleppo in the north.

However, Clements emphasized that the UN agency “does not encourage returns,” explaining that the decision remains “an individual choice for each family.”

Lebanese authorities, which recently launched a plan for refugee returns, estimate that the country hosts around 1.5 million Syrians, including over 755,000 registered with the U.N.

The plan includes offering $100 in assistance to each refugee wishing to leave, as well as waiving fines for illegal residency, provided they pledge not to return to Lebanon as asylum seekers.

AFP