On Tuesday, over 300 Syrian refugees began their return journey to Syria from Lebanon, departing in a convoy from the northeastern towns of Arsal and Qaa. This move comes amid rising anti-refugee sentiment in Lebanon, a country that currently hosts nearly 780,000 registered Syrian refugees, along with hundreds of thousands unregistered, making it the nation with the highest refugee population per capita in the world.
Lebanese authorities have been actively calling on the international community to facilitate the resettlement of refugees or help them return to Syria, a stance increasingly echoed by major Lebanese political factions pushing for the repatriation of the refugees.
On the day of departure, Syrian refugees packed their belongings and went through a formal process with Lebanese security officers who checked their UN refugee agency cards and other documents prior to authorizing their exit. Emotional farewells were exchanged as the convoy left, heading towards the uncertain conditions that await in Syria.
Ahmad al-Rifai, a refugee returning to the Qalamoun Mountains after more than a decade in Lebanon, shared his relief about leaving the temporary refugee life, stating, “it’s better to live in a house than in a tent.”
Although Lebanese authorities have stepped up deportations recently, the numbers are still below the targets set two years ago when there were proposals to deport around 15,000 Syrians each month to “safe areas” in collaboration with the Syrian government.
This organized “voluntary return,” the first since late 2022, saw 330 refugees willingly participate. Ahmad Durro, one of the returning refugees, told The Associated Press he had registered for the convoy a year earlier. Despite this movement, many other Syrians, especially young men at risk of compulsory military service and those opposing President Bashar Assad’s regime, still consider it too dangerous to return. For many, the dire economic situation in Syria, which persists despite the reduced intensity of conflict, offers little hope for a better future.
Compounded by these harsh realities, an increasing number of refugees in Lebanon are attempting risky sea journeys to reach Europe, seeking safer and more stable living conditions.
