Lebanon’s caretaker Minister of the Displaced, Issam Sharafeddine, has revealed that the Syrian state is prepared to welcome 180,000 Syrian refugees as a first stage, followed by an additional 15,000 displaced persons each month.
According to Sharafeddine, the Syrian government has offered more facilities than requested by the Lebanese Ministry of Displaced in regards to the return of Syrian refugees.
He affirmed that Syria is committed to implementing all the agreed-upon points from the previous year and providing the necessary resources.
The initial batch of 180,000 displaced persons has been determined based on the availability of ready and equipped shelter centers and villages that have been restored with secured infrastructure.
Practical steps towards the return of the displaced will commence after an official Lebanese ministerial delegation, consisting of eight ministers, the Director General of Public Security, and the Secretary General of the Supreme Defense Council, visits Syria.
The purpose of the visit is to establish a protocol between the two countries, addressing the logistical details of the return process and discussing other relevant issues, including the registration of Syrians with unknown registration status, the education service for displaced individuals in Syria, settling the conditions of those who were left behind, and the situation of 1,700 Syrian prisoners who wish to complete their sentences in Syria.