Several hundred Syrians in buses and trucks arrived Wednesday at the Zemrani checkpoint in the Ersal region of eastern Lebanon to head for their homeland, an eyewitness on the ground told TASS.
"The first group of refugees has just crossed the Lebanese-Syrian border after checking their documents," he said. According to the interlocutor, the process is organized and carried out in cooperation with Syrian authorities. "Refugees are leaving with their families and one by one," the eyewitness said.
Earlier, Issam Sharaf El-Din, Lebanon's Acting Minister for Displaced, told TASS that 6,000 people are scheduled to cross the border on Wednesday. "The Lebanese government, in agreement with Damascus, is resuming the program of refugee return to their homeland," he stressed. - "Syrian families will return to their former places of residence, al-Qalamoun."
Since July 2018, more than half a million Syrians have left Lebanon, taking advantage of the opportunity to return home. The refugees left on a voluntary basis, in coordination with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. However, in March 2020, the process of their return was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and closing the joint border.
Speaking to reporters in Ersal, Hector Hajjar, Acting Minister of Social Affairs of Lebanon, said that the Syrians leave voluntary. "It is their own decision, the Lebanese authorities do not force anyone to return home," he pointed out. - "Refugees make their own choice whether to leave or stay."
Major General Abbas Ibrahim, Head of Lebanon's General Security Directorate, told a press conference on Tuesday that the number of Syrian refugees who have moved into Lebanese territory during the conflict has reached 2,8 mln. According to him, the presence of such a large number of displaced persons threatens the internal stability and negatively affects the socio-economic situation. The intelligence chief pointed out that the authorities had set up 17 checkpoints across the country to register Syrians willing to return to their homeland.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS