BEIRUT, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon announced Monday that 380,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their home country under a government-facilitated plan launched in July 2025.
Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said on social media platform X that the returnees have been permanently removed from the UN refugee agency's registration database. An additional 74,000 refugees have voiced their intention to return before the end of the year.
This reflects the Lebanese government's "unwavering commitment to ensuring the sustainable return of displaced people to Syria," as well as "the effectiveness of the existing partnership" with national and international partners, Sayed said.
Lebanon, hosting one of the world's largest refugee populations per capita, has long argued that the presence of over 2 million Syrian refugees strains its public services, economy, and social cohesion.
In recent years, the Lebanese government has intensified calls for refugee returns as a national priority. However, humanitarian organizations have stressed that any returns must be voluntary, safe, and dignified, noting that conditions inside Syria remain challenging. ■
