BEIRUT, Lebanon / ISTANBUL
More than half a million Syrian refugees returned to their country from Lebanon over the course of 2025, in what Lebanese officials called a milestone in managing the long-running displacement crisis.
Lebanon’s Social Affairs Minister Hanin Al-Sayyed said on Friday that the scale of the return marked a first since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict some 15 years ago.
“For the first time since the Syrian displacement crisis began in 2011, Lebanon can point to concrete figures that reflect an actual return,” she said in a post on US social media company X.
Al-Sayyed said official data showed that 501,603 Syrian refugees left Lebanon during 2025, describing the process as safe, organized, and sustainable. She added that those who departed were removed from the registration lists of the UN refugee agency, confirming their effective return.
She said the development was the result of a structured government approach and a clear policy framework, calling it an unprecedented outcome after years of stalled or limited return efforts.
According to Al-Sayyed, a dedicated government committee will continue coordinating refugee returns in 2026, working with Syrian authorities and international partners to ensure the process remains orderly and respects the dignity of those returning.
Lebanon unveiled a new multi-phase plan for refugee returns last June, covering both organized departures and individual returns outside official programs.
Before the latest figures were released, Lebanese authorities estimated that around 1.8 million Syrians were living in the country, including nearly 880,000 registered with the UN refugee agency.
In January 2025, after taking office, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said he expected most Syrians living abroad to return home within the next two years.