Over 200,000 Syrian Refugees Return from Lebanon in 2025

More than 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned from Lebanon since the start of this year, according to a senior United Nations official.

Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, said yesterday that most of those returning have travelled alone, with the number rising rapidly. The majority are heading back to central and northern Syrian provinces.

Lebanese authorities estimate that the country currently hosts around 1.5 million Syrians, including more than 755,000 registered with the UN refugee agency.

UNHCR has prepared a support plan for returnees, including small-scale housing repairs, cash assistance, basic relief items, and help with urgent needs. However, Clements noted that large-scale reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts remain beyond the organization’s capacity.

According to UN data, around 80 percent of Syrian homes have been damaged to some degree, and one in three Syrian families requires housing support.

Syrian economist Mohammed Hafid explained that numerous challenges prevent displaced people and refugees from returning to their original areas.

These include damaged infrastructure, destroyed homes, lack of services, financial difficulties, and administrative barriers. He stressed that widespread poverty, high costs of return, and limited government support further complicate voluntary repatriation.

Hafid suggested that international financial assistance to rebuild homes and job opportunities for Syrians could provide quick solutions to encourage returns. He also called for long-term strategies, such as supporting productive sectors like agriculture, attracting foreign investment through legal and administrative reforms, and restructuring the banking system.

In Syria, Sheikhmous Ahmad, head of the Office for Organizations and Humanitarian Affairs, warned that worsening water and energy shortages, along with a lack of basic supplies, remain the biggest obstacles to the return of refugees and displaced persons. Security concerns also continue to deter many Syrians from going back.

Ahmad urged the Syrian government to provide stronger support for returnees to resume normal life in their hometowns, stressing that the humanitarian situation remains critical due to its close connection to political and security conditions.