Former army chief Joseph Aoun after being elected as Lebanon's president at the parliament building in Beirut on Jan. 9, 2025. (Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
BEIRUT — President of the Republic Joseph Aoun told the UNHCR's commissioner Filippo Grandi that Lebanon wants the return of Syrian refugees to their country "as soon as possible," citing that now that the Assad regime has fallen, they can return safely, according to the presidency's media office.
During a meeting at the Baabda Palace, Aoun asked Grandi to start organizing return convoys for the displaced, calling on the international community to provide material and humanitarian support to achieve this return, especially since some countries have already started doing so.
“We want the refugees to return as soon as possible and we are ready to cooperate with you in all ways,” Aoun told Grandi, stressing the importance of working to stop infiltration on both sides of the Lebanese-Syrian border.
Meanwhile, Grandi said that the purpose of his visit to the region, which will also include Syria, Turkey and Egypt, is to discuss the issue of Syrian refugees in light of the new political changes in Syria.
Grandi noted that, according to UNHCR estimations, more than 200,000 displaced Syrians have returned to their country from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and other countries since the fall of the former Syrian regime on Dec. 8, noting that “there are many others who also wish to return.”
"A survey conducted by UNHCR shows that the number of those wishing to return has increased from about 1 percent to 30 percent in a matter of weeks," he said.
"Our message today is that we want to capitalize on what has been achieved and support returnees, and we have already started to do so,” Grandi said, noting that "UNHCR's relationship with the new authorities across Syria is constructive" and they have started to prioritize this issue.
He added that "UNHCR wants to work with Lebanon to build a practical way to support this return."
Grandi also met with Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam. They discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, and emphasized the need to intensify joint action to achieve the safe and dignified return of Syrian refugees to their country, in light of the recent political developments.
Grandi said that he will visit caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati later on Thursday to discuss more practical matters on how to accelerate the return of refugees.
The commissioner also said that he will meet with the leader of Syria's new administration, Ahmad al-Sharaa, on Saturday to discuss the same matters. He noted that al-Sharaa informed UNHCR that while the new administration welcomes the return of Syrians, it requested that the return be organized gradually and not all at once, because this "would create many issues in light of the challenges that Syria is currently facing." According to Grandi, this means that there will be "displaced people in the countries that are hosting them, but their number will gradually decrease."