Safe, Voluntary, and Dignified Return for Syrian Refugees from Lebanon

There are an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees currently residing in Lebanon and refugees and hosts alike have been forced into extreme poverty and higher protection risks as a result of the nation's escalating socio-economic crisis.

The Government of Lebanon stated in 2022 that it would send 15,000 Syrian refugees home to their country each month, insisting that Syria was now safe for return, and also willing to welcome refugees back. Human rights organizations, however, continue to gather evidence on Syrians being arbitrarily arrested, subjected to sexual assault, forcibly disappeared, and tortured upon returning home.

In a context where the issue of return has become deeply politicized, it is essential that we consider how the repatriation of Syrian refugees from Lebanon should proceed, paying close attention to protection principles and prerequisites for safe return, while also taking into consideration broader discussions about Lebanon's approach to repatriation, the position of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its role, as well as regional and global discussions on how return can become durable and sustainable.

This policy brief, based on a migration policy roundtable hosted by UNU-CPR and the Institute for Migration Studies at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, explores these issues and offers concrete ways forward for policy and practice. 

Recommendations include:

• Plans for repatriation must be rooted in protection standards and principles.
• Lebanon should closely monitor the repatriation process through close cooperation with UNHCR and the Government of Syria.
• Reintegration assistance should be provided post-arrival in Syria within ongoing humanitarian programmes.
• Ongoing voluntary repatriation must be carried out in safety and dignity by local authorities.
• The international community must support Lebanon as a leading refugee host state.

Access ‘Safe, Voluntary, and Dignified Return for Syrian Refugees from Lebanon’ here.