369,000 Syrians returned from Lebanon since Assad’s fall

The authority said in a statement today, Tuesday, June 2, that the number of Syrians returning from Lebanon through the Jdeidet Yabous crossing (Rural Damascus, southwestern Syria) reached 35,000 from the beginning of the year until the end of May.

It said the total number of returnees from Lebanon through various border crossings during the same period reached 150,000 citizens.

It also noted that more than 9,400 cars loaded with furniture and household belongings entered with the returnees, adding that the items were allowed in free of charge and exempted from fees under the facilities allocated to returnees.

The General Authority for Border Crossings said it continues to provide facilities and services to Syrian citizens returning voluntarily to their country, helping ease their return procedures and enabling them to transport their property and personal belongings smoothly, according to the authority.

The authority said the number of returnees is an indicator reflecting the continued pace of return to the homeland and use of the facilities provided through border crossings.

It said the facilities include simplifying procedures, accelerating the completion of transactions, and exempting luggage and personal and household belongings from fees, reducing the burden on returning families and helping them complete return procedures easily.

The Border Crossings Authority confirmed that its staff continues to work around the clock to organize crossing movement and ensure procedures run smoothly, guaranteeing the best services for returnees and strengthening the conditions for their stability in their homeland, according to its wording.

Decline in Returnee Numbers

The recent period has seen a decline in the number of returnees from Lebanon to Syria against the backdrop of the war there between Israel and Hezbollah since March 2.

However, the rapid pace of return seen in the first period of the war declined, according to a report by the International Organization for Migration, after the ceasefire in Lebanon was announced on April 17.

Military escalation returned to the forefront after the Israeli army expanded its operations there in recent days, indicating the possibility that the pace of return could rise again.

The International Organization for Migration said in its report issued on May 28 that 33,887 people had returned to Lebanon since the peak of displacement, when 153,087 arrivals were recorded on April 27, 2026.

The Displacement Tracking Matrix report recorded the arrival of 119,200 people to 1,238 locations across all Syrian governorates between March 2 and May 25.

Syrian citizens made up the overwhelming majority of arrivals, while Lebanese citizens accounted for no more than 1%.

The report said that, as of May 25, 366,719 crossing movements had been recorded through the four entry points on the Syria and Lebanon border.

The report said about 97% of these movements were by Syrian citizens, compared with 3% by Lebanese citizens, noting that an additional 2,211 Lebanese citizens crossed from Syria toward Jordan during the same period.

[Source: Enab Baladi English]