Since the beginning of 2025, nearly 200,000 Syrian refugees have left Lebanon to return to their homeland, Kelly T. Clements, Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees at the UNHCR, told AFP on Monday. Most of these returns have been carried out individually, though some have been organized by the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs in coordination with UNHCR.
“This number is rising very quickly,” Clements said, noting that large-scale returns are taking place toward the provinces of Hama, Homs, and Aleppo. She emphasized, however, that UNHCR does not encourage these returns: “It is an individual decision that each family must make.”
A Lebanese Plan for Organized Return
Lebanon, which hosts more than 1.5 million Syrians, including over 755,000 registered with the United Nations, has developed a plan to facilitate a gradual return. The plan provides financial assistance of $100 for each refugee who chooses to return, along with exemptions from fines related to irregular stay. Participants must commit not to return to Lebanon as asylum seekers.
UNHCR supports this process by assisting returnees with minor home repairs, financial aid, and essential supplies. According to Clements, around 80% of housing in Syria has been damaged, and one in three families requires support to secure adequate shelter. “The needs are immense,” she said.
Clements also noted that most Syrian refugees remain in Lebanon, where needs persist despite declining international aid. “The budget for Lebanon is shrinking, while the budget for Syria is increasing,” she explained. However, she added that Syria’s 2025 aid plan is currently only funded at 20 to 25 percent of what is needed.
A Renewed Momentum for Return to Syria
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, about 850,000 Syrian refugees have returned from neighboring countries, a figure that could reach 1 million in the coming weeks. In addition, some 1.7 million internally displaced people have returned to their communities as the interim central government now controls large areas of the country.
“This is a dynamic period. We could see potential solutions for one of the largest population displacements in the past 14 years,” Clements told the Associated Press.
Despite these returns, the majority of Syrian refugees remain abroad or internally displaced. According to the UN, 13.5 million Syrians continue to live as refugees or internally displaced persons in a country where the economy is devastated and infrastructure heavily damaged.
Strengthening Lebanese-Syrian Cooperation
On Monday, Lebanese Minister Nawaf Salam met with Clements to discuss the refugee situation. According to the National Information Agency, the UN official said UNHCR is working with both Lebanese and Syrian authorities to facilitate sustainable returns while mobilizing the resources needed to improve living conditions in Syria.
Salam proposed holding a tripartite meeting involving UNHCR and the Lebanese and Syrian authorities to strengthen cooperation and coordinate efforts on this crucial issue.
With AFP
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