Lebanon, Syria Agree on Initial Refugee Repatriation Plan

Lebanon’s caretaker minister of the displaced, Issam Charafeddine, announced on Tuesday that Syria has agreed to accept 180,000 refugees returning from Lebanon in its initial phase. The Lebanese minister stated, during an interview with Elnashra news, that there is a mutual understanding and commitment with Syria to ensure the safe return of displaced individuals. Ready-to-use shelter centers with facilities, health care, and education provisions are in place, he added.

Charafeddine also shared his failed proposal to form a committee with Syria and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), citing Syria’s instability as the main hurdle. According to the UNHCR, Lebanon holds the world’s highest per capita and per square kilometer refugee population.

Lebanon, a country with over 5.5 million inhabitants, currently houses about 2 million Syrian refugees, according to Lebanese government data. The urgent push for repatriation arises as Lebanon grapples with its most severe socioeconomic crisis in recent history and its capacity to meet the escalating refugee needs diminishes.