refugees

One Million Refugees Are Expected to Return to Syria in 2026

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) predicted that around one million Syrian refugees will return to their country during 2026, given the gradual recovery that Syria is witnessing after the fall of the Assad regime. Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the UNHCR representative in Syria, stated, "Our estimates indicate that 2026 could see ...

Syrians in Lebanon: Returns Rise, But New Arrivals Continue

Nearly a year after the fall of Bashar Assad’s government in December, the debate over the future of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has reignited. As conditions inside Syria evolve, Lebanon and international organizations – namely the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – are coordinating ...

Rebuilding Wrecked Syria Vital for Regional Stability

After 14 years of destruction, Syria must be swiftly rebuilt to bring stability to the country and the wider region, a top UN official in the war-ravaged nation told AFP. Reconstruction is one of the most significant challenges facing Syria's new Islamist authorities after the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last December. "The ...

Syrian FM Says Damascus Seeks to "Correct" Ties with Lebanon, Ensure Dignified Refugee Return

Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani said Saturday that Damascus aims to “correct” its relationship with Lebanon and guarantee a “dignified return” for Syrian refugees, in comments broadcast on Syrian state television. Al-Shaibani, appointed earlier this year, said his government is “working to address the effects of the previous ...

More than 400 Syrian Refugees Voluntarily Return Home from Lebanon

More than 400 Syrian refugees departed Lebanon on Wednesday morning as part of the fifth convoy of the voluntary repatriation plan organized by the Lebanese government, in coordination with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Lebanese Red Cross, and several humanitarian partners. The group ...

MP Alameh: Up to 400,000 Syrian Refugees Would Return Home Soon

Lebanon may see up to 400,000 Syrian refugees return home in the near future, MP Fadi Alameh said on Wednesday, noting that between 200,000 and 250,000 have already gone back. Speaking after chairing a session of the Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Committee, Alameh said the meeting focused on the refugee return file and was attended by Deputy ...

UN says Over 200,000 Syrian Refugees Return from Lebanon

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 ...

Palestinian Factions Reject Camp Disarmament, Assert Weapons Will Stay

Palestinian factions in Lebanon rejected reports on Thursday that they were preparing to hand over weapons inside refugee camps, particularly in Burj al-Barajneh. In a joint statement, the groups called the claims “entirely false,” saying the situation in the camp is an internal matter related to the Fatah movement and not linked to ...

Palestinian Camps: Lebanon Moves to Restrict Weapons to the State

The disarmament of Lebanon’s 12 Palestinian refugee camps kicked off on Thursday, as Lebanese army vehicles rolled into Burj al-Barajneeh camp south of Beirut in the first phase of the government’s comprehensive plan to restrict the possession of arms on Lebanese territory to the state authorities. Commenting on the weapons withdrawal ...

Turkey Reports Mass Return by Syrians

More than 410,00 Syrians who fled to Turkey during the rule of Bashar al-Assad have returned home since he was overthrown in December, the government announced Thursday. Turkey's interior ministry said 411,649 Syrians had so far returned, the rate picking up in recent weeks, with the immigration service recording 140,000 returns since ...

President Aoun Urges EU Support for Sovereignty, Army, Economy

President Joseph Aoun met with a European Union delegation and ambassadors on Thursday, urging them to help Lebanon reclaim its full territory and restore state sovereignty. He warned that without a strong Lebanese Army, “security could crumble across the region,” a scenario “no one desires.” He also called on Brussels to lift all ...

Army Conducts Search Operations in Syrian Displacement Camps

The Lebanese Army on Tuesday conducted raids across several camps housing displaced Syrians in the Hamoudiyeh area (Akkar), Taybeh (Baalbek), and Saaideh, west of Baalbek. Supported by regional intelligence services, army units carried out targeted searches for weapons, smuggled goods, individuals with irregular legal status, and persons who had ...