UNHCR has reported that over 250,000 Syrian refugees have crossed into Syria ever since the war between Israel and Lebanon had escalated. In addition to that, over 60,000 Lebanese have crossed the border seeking refuge in Syria. This marks the largest flux of refugees back to Syria since 2011 and will add “another layer of complexity to an already strained humanitarian situation,” according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.
On the other hand, this move was seen as a positive sign by many Lebanese parties, as the Syrian refugees had become a huge burden on the Lebanese economy. One of them was Baalbek & Hermel governor Bachir Khodr, who reaffirmed that there’s no reason for the refugees not to go back and that the Syrian side is treating them well.
While it’s clear that a lot of local parties and international organizations were exploiting politically the refugees card in Lebanon, no one can possibly guarantee the intentions of the Syrian murderous regime against the refugees, especially those who opposed him.
The Syrian refugee problem needs to be resolved properly, and the borders need to be controlled; otherwise, all of them will be coming back as soon as the war ends.
٢٣٦ ألف نازح سوري عادوا الى سوريا، لتسقط نظرية ان السلطات السورية ممكن ان تقوم بتوقيف العائدين اليها.
كنا قد قلنا مراراً وتكراراً ان الجانب السوري لم يتعرّض لأي من مواطنيه الذين عادوا الى بلدهم منذ بدئ حملات العودة الطوعية عام ٢٠١٨ لا بل تم معاملته أفضل معاملة.#بشير_خضر https://t.co/mbmRuJZT1G— Bachir Khodr (@BachirKhodr) October 8, 2024
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