A wave in motion as 380,000 Syrian refugees return from Lebanon

Report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Karine keuchkerian

To date, Lebanon’s General Security, in coordination with the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, has organized 13 return trips for Syrian refugees to their home country.

According to official figures, about 380,000 Syrian refugees have left Lebanon since July 9. A smaller number returned through the organized program run by General Security, while the majority departed voluntarily through official border crossings.

The names of those who returned were removed from UNHCR registries. In addition, the status of individuals with expired residency documents or those who had entered Lebanon illegally was regularized at the Masnaa border crossing.

In each trip organized by General Security, the number of registered returnees did not exceed a few hundred. Most had originally come to Lebanon from Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, and surrounding rural areas.

The return of 380,000 Syrians is considered one of the highest figures since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict. Based on conditions on the ground and activity at Lebanese border crossings such as Masnaa, hundreds are leaving each day voluntarily by personal decision.

The most recent campaign on Wednesday was initially expected to be the final one, coinciding with the end of the year. However, as the return process was not completed within the set timeframe, it was extended until March. 

Information obtained by LBCI indicates that around 100,000 displaced Syrians have registered to leave in the coming period.

Despite the accelerating pace of returns, key questions remain. To what extent are these returns fully voluntary amid economic pressures and declining aid? How transparent is the documentation of returns by those who entered Lebanon illegally? And does Lebanon have a clear plan to manage what remains of the displacement file?