A Syrian refugee stands with his children on the rubble of their camp in Bhanin, which was torched in December 2021. (Credit: João Sousa/L’Orient Today)
BEIRUT — The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reiterated Wednesday that it is not part of any plan to return refugees from Lebanon to Syria en masse.
The agency shared its statement in response to President Michel Aoun's announcement via Twitter that Lebanon will begin repatriating displaced Syrians "in batches" as soon as next week.
"UNHCR is not facilitating or promoting the large-scale voluntary repatriation of refugees to Syria," UNHCR spokesperson Dalal Harb told L'Orient Today, adding that "nonetheless, thousands of refugees choose to exercise their right to return each year."
In July, caretaker Minister of the Displaced Issam Charafeddine announced a plan to repatriate Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon with the goal of returning “15,000 displaced people per month.”
Charafeddine told L'Orient Today Wednesday that Aoun's announcement marks "the beginning of the implementation of the plan," which will be overseen by General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim.
The official stance of the UN is that Syria is not safe for mass returns. A July statement from the UNHCR noted that refugees "remain concerned about a combination of factors including: safety and security; housing; access to essential services and livelihoods … [and] until the factors inhibiting refugees’ return are addressed, it is crucial to ensure they continue to be safe and protected in Lebanon.”
On Wednesday, the UNHCR told L'Orient Today that it "supports and calls for respect of refugees’ fundamental human right to freely and voluntarily return to their country of origin at a time of their choosing" affirming that it "will continue to engage in dialogue with the Lebanese Government, including with the General Security Office in the context of GSO-facilitated return movements."