In recent days, three buses carrying Syrian refugees, accompanied by three trucks loaded with their personal belongings, departed Lebanon’s Bekaa region for Damascus, Rural Damascus, and Homs. The repatriation was conducted as part of an organized voluntary return program under a Lebanese government plan, backed by the United Nations and donor countries.

This development offers a glimmer of hope for Lebanon, which continues to face mounting economic and social pressures.

According to available information, the plan stipulates that each returnee will a receive $100 stipend while still in Lebanon, and each eligible family will receive $400 after returning to Syria. The program also includes legal assistance for required documentation, transportation arrangements, and exemption from administrative exit fees, including fines for overstaying legal residency in Lebanon.

How the Return Process Works

Speaking to Kataeb.org, Lisa Abou Khaled, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon, explained that refugees interested in returning must first contact the agency through a dedicated hotline or by filling out an online form. This is followed by an in-person interview to assess their situation and needs, and to ensure proper documentation is in place before departure. Refugees are then asked to sign a voluntary return form.

Once refugees leave Lebanon under this program, their UNHCR files are closed, making them ineligible for future refugee registration should they attempt to return, she noted.

According to the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), all returns must be accompanied by investments in areas of return across Syria in order to prevent secondary displacement and ensure sustainable reintegration.

Repatriation Projections

Abou Khaled told Kataeb.org that the UNHCR anticipates between 200,000 and 400,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon could return home by the end of 2025.

Since December 8, 2024, roughly 700,000 Syrians are estimated to have returned to Syria from neighboring countries, including 200,000 from or via Lebanon. Moreover, more than 120,000 refugee files have been deactivated in Lebanon so far, either due to confirmed returns or presumed departures, often before beneficiaries received any assistance.

During the first half of July alone, over 17,000 individuals expressed interest in the organized return program and received counseling on the process and its implications. The program also provides financial aid and other support, both in Lebanon and Syria, through UNHCR, IOM, and their partners to assist returning families in resettling.

Participants in the program benefit from coordinated transportation from designated locations in Lebanon to official border crossings and onward to their final destinations in Syria. The process is carried out in coordination with Lebanese authorities, including logistical and administrative facilitation from the General Security Directorate.