Since Israel's military escalation in Lebanon began in September, hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in Lebanon have returned to Syria, many through informal routes to avoid forfeiting their refugee status in Lebanon. The exodus comes as refugees seek safety amidst intensifying conflict, but the method of reentry has drawn concern over the continued reliance on Lebanon’s already strained support systems.

According to Lebanon’s General Security agency, more than 550,000 Syrians have crossed back into Syria since mid-September, with the UN refugee agency confirming that nearly 70% of returnees are Syrian. Yet many refugees, reluctant to fully reestablish themselves in Syria, have chosen smuggling routes, hoping to retain benefits such as health and social services in Lebanon while maintaining flexibility in case the situation improves.

One refugee, Um Yaman, left Beirut's conflict-hit suburbs with her children for Raqqa, Syria, via smuggler routes to avoid jeopardizing her family’s refugee status.

“When I went to Syria, to be honest, I went by smuggling, in case we wanted to go back to Lebanon later when things calm down, so our papers would remain in order in Lebanon,” she told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

This decision highlights a wider trend among refugees seeking to preserve access to Lebanon’s humanitarian assistance.

A UNHCR regional spokeswoman Rula Amin said if people leave the country where they are registered as refugees, they usually lose their protected status.

Whether and how that will be applied in the current situation remains unclear, Amin said, underscoring the exodus from Lebanon took place “under adverse circumstances, that is under duress.”

“Given the current situation, the procedure will need to be applied with necessary safeguards and humanity," she told Asharq Al-Awsat.