UN: Clear decline in displacement from Lebanon to Syria
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced a significant decrease in the movement of displacement from Lebanon to Syria following the entry into force of the ceasefire in Lebanon on 17 April, with some 33,887 people returning to Lebanon since the peak of displacement of 153,087 arrivals on 27 April 2026.
According to the Displacement Tracking System report for the period from March 2 to May 25, 119,200 people reached 1,238 locations inside Syria, of which Syrians constituted the overwhelming majority, while the percentage of Lebanese did not exceed 1%.
The report recorded 366,719 crossings through Syrian-Lebanese border crossings as of May 25, 97% of which were Syrians, compared to 3% for Lebanese, with an additional 2,211 Lebanese crossing from Syria towards Jordan during the same period.
Temporary Exploratory Entry
Local informants indicated that some of the new arrivals entered Syria during the Eid al-Adha holiday to assess the situation, which led to increasing pressure on the housing market and basic services, amid reports of a decline in humanitarian aid.
Returnees have also raised increasing security concerns, especially after a landmine explosion in Idlib that killed three children and injured four others, at a time when the rising cost of living and the loss of job opportunities are pushing some expatriates to consider returning to Lebanon again.
The report showed that 64% of expatriates arrive in stable conditions, while 36% face challenges, most notably psychological and social pressures (73%), difficulty in accessing basic services (52%), and problems with civil documents (42%). The highest levels of risk were recorded in Al-Hasakah (100%), followed by Suwayda (79%) and Damascus countryside (61%).
32% of those returning to Damascus countryside
The latest data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) showed that the governorate of Rif Damascus topped the list of governorates that received the most arrivals by between 30 and 32 percent, followed by Aleppo by about 19 to 22 percent, then Idlib, which received between 17 and 24 percent, while the remaining percentages – less than 30 percent combined – were distributed to Homs, Hama, Latakia, Tartous, Deir Ezzor, and the southern and eastern governorates in varying proportions.
The organization recorded 366,719 transit movements through the four checkpoints on the Syrian-Lebanese border, of which 97% were Syrians, compared to only 3% for Lebanese, with 2,211 Lebanese transiting through Syrian territory towards Jordan as part of continuous transit movements.
The data showed that the peak of the influx was recorded on April 27, 2026, with the arrival of 153,087 arrivals inside Syria, before a reverse movement began with a relative improvement in the situation, with 33,887 people returning to Lebanon as of May 25. According to the updated figures, the number of individuals still settled inside the Syrian sites reached 119,200 people, between displaced and extended returnees.
1.5 million Syrians in Lebanon
Official and UN estimates updated in May 2026 indicate that the number of Syrians in Lebanon currently ranges between 1.4 and 1.5 million, distributed among registered refugees, new arrivals, and unregistered residents.
According to UN data, the number of registered Syrian refugees is estimated at about one million people included in the humanitarian response plan, while the UNHCR has recorded the entry of between 112 and 120 thousand new arrivals since late 2024, noting that these new arrivals are still out of the official registration registers in Lebanon due to the continued decision to suspend registration since 2015, and are waiting for their legal status to be resolved.
The remaining difference, of about 300,000 to 400,000 Syrians, represents the category of unregistered residents, whether as seasonal workers or individuals living outside the UNHCR system for legal or economic reasons.
The data show that the geographical distribution of Syrians inside Lebanon still follows the same traditional pattern, as the Bekaa region is the most dense in terms of the presence of refugees and returnees, followed by the areas of northern Lebanon, then Beirut and Mount Lebanon, while the south of Lebanon records relatively fewer numbers compared to the rest of the regions.
Voluntary Repatriation Programs from Lebanon
Voluntary repatriation programs for Syrian refugees in Lebanon during 2026 will be managed through two parallel and integrated tracks: the first is led by UN agencies represented by UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, and the second is supervised by the Lebanese government through the General Directorate of General Security.
In the UN track, UNHCR and IOM are working on a structured programme that provides comprehensive support to registered Syrians who decide to return voluntarily and permanently.
This support includes a one-time financial grant of $100 per person to cover the costs of initial settlement, in addition to the provision of buses to transport families and their belongings from gathering points inside Lebanon to inside Syria, with this mechanism to continue to operate until June 30, 2026.
The Lebanese government track is managed through the General Security Plan, which coordinates directly with the Syrian authorities to conduct periodic return convoys from various Lebanese regions, such as Beirut, Tripoli, Akkar and the Bekaa.
The General Security has allocated regional offices to receive requests from those wishing to return and study their legal files before leaving, with facilities and exemptions from fees and fines related to expired stays or irregular entry, until June 30, 2026, and these convoys have reached their fifteenth phase by February 2026, with the adoption of the factory crossing as the most prominent crossing points.
UNHCR explains that the departure of a person through one of these two pathways results in the closure of their asylum file in Lebanon permanently, in exchange for the provision of support and reintegration services within Syria through local and international partners.