Shibani hosts Lebanese delegation in Damascus to discuss Syrian refugee returns

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani received a Lebanese government delegation in Damascus led by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri. The talks focused on Syrian refugees in Lebanon and ways to facilitate their return, as well as border control, security cooperation and education.

Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad al-Shaibani received a high-level Lebanese government delegation in Damascus on Monday, led by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri. The delegation included Minister of Education and Higher Education Rima Karami, Minister of Labor Mohammad Haidar and Minister of Social Affairs Haneen al-Sayed, along with a technical delegation from the Interior Ministry.

The talks focused on Syrian refugees in Lebanon and ways to facilitate their return. The discussions covered the regulation of Syrians’ residency, irregular entry, mechanisms to facilitate return and social protection, in addition to cooperation on student affairs, documents and educational certificates for Syrians.

نائب رئيس الوزراء اللبناني طارق متري (صورة أرشيفية)

The two sides also discussed security cooperation and border control. The ministers’ bilateral sessions moved from general issues to practical measures for addressing outstanding matters, within the framework of the joint higher committee that the two countries agreed to establish last July.

Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs Haneen al-Sayed said in October that around 700,000 Syrians had returned from Lebanon to their country by September 2026, based on data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.