Shafaq News – Damascus

About 300 Syrian refugees returned from Lebanon to Syria on Thursday through the Jdeidet Yabous crossing in the Damascus countryside, Syrian state media reported.

The movement took place under a voluntary repatriation program organized by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in coordination with Lebanese and Syrian authorities. The program arranges transportation, documentation, and health checks for families who register in advance.

Lebanon, with a population of just over six million, has hosted more than one million Syrians since the conflict erupted in 2011, the highest number of refugees per capita worldwide. Officials in Beirut have long pressed for accelerated returns, pointing to the strain on the country’s economy and services.

This was the second group to return under the UN-backed scheme, following an earlier convoy that also crossed into Syria through Jdeidet Yabous.