The seventh wave of voluntary returns of displaced Syrians was launched Thursday from the former offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Zahlé, in Lebanon’s Bekaa region. Convoys departed for several areas in Syria, including Homs, Aleppo, Damascus, and surrounding regions.
The operation is part of a voluntary return program implemented by Lebanese authorities in coordination with General Security, UNHCR, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
So far, more than 320,000 displaced Syrians have returned home after being removed from UNHCR registries, while over 110,000 others have expressed their intention to return, bringing the total number of planned returns to approximately half a million by the end of the year.
Lebanese authorities emphasized that these returns are organized to ensure the safety, dignity, and rights of returnees. Support measures include logistical, technical, and legal assistance; financial incentives – $100 per person in Lebanon and $400 per family in Syria – exemptions from fines and fees; and border assistance coordinated with Syrian authorities.
Matteo Luciano, Director of the IOM in Lebanon, said the organization “continues to facilitate the weekly organized return of Syrians, with each operation carried out carefully to ensure the dignity of returnees at every stage.”
Carolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative, expressed “deep appreciation for the close cooperation with Lebanese authorities, General Security, and IOM, which ensures safe and dignified returns and paves the way for sustainable reintegration in Syria.”
According to Lebanese authorities, the organized return program, implemented since July 1, complements the growing number of spontaneous returns and is accompanied by labor market regulation for those remaining in Lebanon, providing a legal framework while supporting the national economy.
The sixth convoy of voluntary Syrian returns left on October 23 from the Rachid Karame International Fair in Tripoli (North Lebanon), enabling around 400 people to return to Syria.
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