Latest news with #HaneenSayed
LBCI
09-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Syrian returns from Lebanon to begin under UN-backed plan
Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return from Lebanon this week under the first, U.N.-backed plan providing financial incentives, after Syria's new rulers said all citizens were welcome home despite deep war damage and security concerns. Returning Syrians will be provided with $100 each in Lebanon and $400 per family upon arrival in Syria, Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said. Transport is also covered and fees have been waived by border authorities, she said. "I think it's a good and important start. We have discussed and are coordinating this with our Syrian counterparts and I think the numbers will increase in the coming weeks," Sayed told Reuters. A Syrian interior ministry spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Some 11,000 have registered to return from Lebanon in the first week, and the government targets between 200,000 and 400,000 returns this year under the plan, Sayed said. The Lebanese government is focused on informal tented settlements in the country, where some 200,000 refugees live, she added, and may provide Syrian breadwinners who stay in Lebanon with work permits for sectors such as agriculture and construction if their families return to Syria. Reuters
Asharq Al-Awsat
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syrian Returns from Lebanon to Start under UN-backed Plan
Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return from Lebanon this week under the first, UN-backed plan providing financial incentives, after Syria's new rulers said all citizens were welcome home despite deep war damage and security concerns. Returning Syrians will be provided with $100 each in Lebanon and $400 per family upon arrival in Syria, Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said. Transport is also covered and fees have been waived by border authorities, she said. "I think it's a good and important start. We have discussed and are coordinating this with our Syrian counterparts and I think the numbers will increase in the coming weeks," Sayed told Reuters. A Syrian interior ministry spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. More than 6 million Syrians fled as refugees after conflict broke out in Syria in 2011, with most heading to Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan. Lebanon has the highest concentration of refugees per capita in the world, hosting about 1.5 million Syrians among a population of about 4 million Lebanese. Some 11,000 have registered to return from Lebanon in the first week, and the government targets between 200,000 and 400,000 returns this year under the plan, Sayed said. The Lebanese government is focused on informal tented settlements in the country, where some 200,000 refugees live, she added, and may provide Syrian breadwinners who stay in Lebanon with work permits for sectors such as agriculture and construction if their families return to Syria. UN agencies previously viewed Syria as unsafe for large-scale returns due to uncertainty over security and persecution by the government of Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in December. That has changed. Since taking over, the new Syrian government has said all Syrians are welcome home. A UN survey from earlier this year showed nearly 30% of refugees living in Middle Eastern countries wanted to go back, up from 2% when Assad was in power. "While the situation in Syria continues to rapidly evolve, (UN refugee agency) UNHCR considers the current context a positive opportunity for larger numbers of Syrian refugees to return home, or to begin considering return in a realistic and durable way," Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Lebanon, told Reuters. As of the end of June 2025, UNHCR estimated that over 628,000 Syrians had crossed back to Syria via neighboring countries since 8 December 2024, including 191,000 via Lebanon.
The National
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in Lebanon set to return home with financial incentives
Up to 400,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon may be set to return home under a UN-backed plan providing financial incentives, according to a document seen by The National. Under the scheme endorsed by the Lebanese government, thousands have already registered to leave this week aided by $500 for each family, Lebanon's Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said. Reuters reported the minister as saying Syrians will be provided with $100 before departing in addition to $400 for each family upon arrival in Syria. Transport costs are also covered, while border fees and fines for overstaying in Lebanon have been waived, a Lebanese security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The National. Last week, Lebanon's General Security Directorate – the country's primary intelligence body concerned with foreigners – implemented a three-month scheme to waive all fines related to entry and residency violations in a bid to encourage refugees to return to their home countries. 'In a best-case scenario, up to 400,000 Syrians, including 5,000 PRS [Palestinian refugees from Syria ], may voluntarily return from Lebanon by the end of 2025,' says a copy of the Lebanon Response Plan seen by The National. That number would constitute around 25 per cent of Lebanon's Syrian refugee population. Already, the document said, more than 123,000 Syrians have departed – around 65,000 of whom were verified by the UN refugee agency as having travelled home. The Lebanese government is prioritising the closure of informal tented settlements – unofficial refugee camps where around 200,000 refugees live, the Lebanese security official told The National. More than six million Syrians fled their country in the years after 2011 during a 13-year civil war. The vast majority sought refuge in nearby countries Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Lebanon took in the highest concentration per capita, hosting 1.5 million refugees – accounting for around 25 per cent of Lebanon's population. Returning to Syria was previously viewed as unsafe during the war due to fears of prosecution by the Assad regime. Former president Bashar Al Assad was toppled in December by Islamist insurgents and since taking over, the new government has said all Syrians are welcome home. Syria is in need of major reconstruction, with much of the country struggling with a lack of basic infrastructure and services such as water and electricity.
Reuters
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Syrian returns from Lebanon to start under UN-backed plan, marking major shift
BEIRUT, July 9 (Reuters) - Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return from Lebanon this week under the first, U.N.-backed plan providing financial incentives, after Syria's new rulers said all citizens were welcome home despite deep war damage and security concerns. Returning Syrians will be provided with $100 each in Lebanon and $400 per family upon arrival in Syria, Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said. Transport is also covered and fees have been waived by border authorities, she said. "I think it's a good and important start. We have discussed and are coordinating this with our Syrian counterparts and I think the numbers will increase in the coming weeks," Sayed told Reuters. A Syrian interior ministry spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. More than 6 million Syrians fled as refugees after conflict broke out in Syria in 2011, with most heading to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Lebanon has the highest concentration of refugees per capita in the world, hosting about 1.5 million Syrians among a population of about 4 million Lebanese. Some 11,000 have registered to return from Lebanon in the first week, and the government targets between 200,000 and 400,000 returns this year under the plan, Sayed said. The Lebanese government is focused on informal tented settlements in the country, where some 200,000 refugees live, she added, and may provide Syrian breadwinners who stay in Lebanon with work permits for sectors such as agriculture and construction if their families return to Syria. U.N. agencies previously viewed Syria as unsafe for large-scale returns due to uncertainty over security and persecution by the government of Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in December. That has changed. Since taking over, the new Islamist-led Syrian government has said all Syrians are welcome home. A U.N. survey from earlier this year showed nearly 30% of refugees living in Middle Eastern countries wanted to go back, up from 2% when Assad was in power. "While the situation in Syria continues to rapidly evolve, (U.N. refugee agency) UNHCR considers the current context a positive opportunity for larger numbers of Syrian refugees to return home, or to begin considering return in a realistic and durable way," Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Lebanon, told Reuters. As of the end of June 2025, UNHCR estimated that over 628,000 Syrians had crossed back to Syria via neighbouring countries since 8 December 2024, including 191,000 via Lebanon. Pressures on Syrians have also grown in Lebanon, which in addition to a months-long war with Israel in 2024 has been stuck in financial disarray and economic stagnation for years, leading to rising anti-Syrian sentiment. But much of Syria remains in ruins, with homes and public infrastructure, including power stations, schools and water services, devastated. More than 7 million Syrians are still internally displaced, according to the U.N. "Many refugees have expressed a desire to return to their country but also remain hesitant due to the uncertain short and long-term conditions in Syria," Freijsen said. Security is a main concern. Despite this year's returns, over 106,000 Syrians have also arrived in Lebanon, many members of the country's Alawite minority fleeing violence in coastal regions.
Straits Times
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Syrian returns from Lebanon to start under UN-backed plan, marking major shift
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BEIRUT - Thousands of Syrian refugees are set to return from Lebanon this week under the first, U.N.-backed plan providing financial incentives, after Syria's new rulers said all citizens were welcome home despite deep war damage and security concerns. Returning Syrians will be provided with $100 each in Lebanon and $400 per family upon arrival in Syria, Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said. Transport is also covered and fees have been waived by border authorities, she said. "I think it's a good and important start. We have discussed and are coordinating this with our Syrian counterparts and I think the numbers will increase in the coming weeks," Sayed told Reuters. A Syrian interior ministry spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. More than 6 million Syrians fled as refugees after conflict broke out in Syria in 2011, with most heading to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Lebanon has the highest concentration of refugees per capita in the world, hosting about 1.5 million Syrians among a population of about 4 million Lebanese. Some 11,000 have registered to return from Lebanon in the first week, and the government targets between 200,000 and 400,000 returns this year under the plan, Sayed said. The Lebanese government is focused on informal tented settlements in the country, where some 200,000 refugees live, she added, and may provide Syrian breadwinners who stay in Lebanon with work permits for sectors such as agriculture and construction if their families return to Syria. U.N. agencies previously viewed Syria as unsafe for large-scale returns due to uncertainty over security and persecution by the government of Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in December. That has changed. Since taking over, the new Islamist-led Syrian government has said all Syrians are welcome home. A U.N. survey from earlier this year showed nearly 30% of refugees living in Middle Eastern countries wanted to go back, up from 2% when Assad was in power. WAR DAMAGE, INSECURITY "While the situation in Syria continues to rapidly evolve, (U.N. refugee agency) UNHCR considers the current context a positive opportunity for larger numbers of Syrian refugees to return home, or to begin considering return in a realistic and durable way," Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Lebanon, told Reuters. As of the end of June 2025, UNHCR estimated that over 628,000 Syrians had crossed back to Syria via neighbouring countries since 8 December 2024, including 191,000 via Lebanon. Pressures on Syrians have also grown in Lebanon, which in addition to a months-long war with Israel in 2024 has been stuck in financial disarray and economic stagnation for years, leading to rising anti-Syrian sentiment. But much of Syria remains in ruins, with homes and public infrastructure, including power stations, schools and water services, devastated. More than 7 million Syrians are still internally displaced, according to the U.N. "Many refugees have expressed a desire to return to their country but also remain hesitant due to the uncertain short and long-term conditions in Syria," Freijsen said. Security is a main concern. Despite this year's returns, over 106,000 Syrians have also arrived in Lebanon, many members of the country's Alawite minority fleeing violence in coastal regions. REUTERS
