Refugees return to Syria as part of 9th phase of government's return plan

BEKAA — The General Security stated that it organized on Thursday morning the return of Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon to their country as part of the ninth phase of the Lebanese government's plan concerning the "organized return" of refugees, according to the state-run National News Agency.

"This morning, as part of the organized return plan for Syrian refugees from Lebanon to Syria — and in the 9th phase of the Lebanese government’s plan concerning the organized return of Syrian refugees — and in cooperation with UNHCR, IOM, the Lebanese Red Cross, and humanitarian organizations, the General Directorate organized the return from Camille Chamoun Sports City in Beirut through the General Security border center in al-Masnaa, in coordination with the security authorities on the Syrian side," reads the statement.

Our correspondent in the Bekaa, reported the return of refugees earlier on Thursday, adding that convoys of trucks loaded with household furniture are crossing through the al-Masnaa border point towards Syria. According to our correspondent, 400 Syrian refugees are expected to return today.

In total, about 114,000 people have registered for the voluntary departure program, which involves removing their files as soon as they arrive in Syria. These individuals receive a $100 per-person allocation at departure. They may be eligible for additional reintegration assistance of up to $500 per family upon arrival in their region of origin.

Lebanon has hosted hundreds of thousands of displaced Syrians fleeing war and abuses in their country since 2011. The number of Syrian refugees officially registered in Lebanon is 722,173, according to a UNHCR estimate from March 31, 2025. However, the actual number of Syrians residing in Lebanon was estimated at 1.4 million before the fall of the Assad regime as UNHCR stopped registering new refugees in May 2015. Since the regime change in Syria in December 2024, thousands of refugees and migrants returned, but many are still hesitant due to the extent of destruction in Syria and the catastrophic economic situation there.

Reporting by our regional correspondent Sarah Abdallah.