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UN refugee agency sets Syrian return dates through December, offers $100 per person
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon announced a preliminary schedule for four organized voluntary return trips to Syria between November 18 and December 9, departing from Tripoli and Beirut. Each returnee will receive a $100 cash grant and free transportation, while those wishing to participate must contact UNHCR at least 10 days before the travel date.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon published a new preliminary schedule on Wednesday, November 4, for organized voluntary return trips to Syria under a program it operates in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration. The schedule was also distributed to refugees via WhatsApp messages.
The program provides free transportation organized by the International Organization for Migration from designated gathering points to locations in Syria, in addition to a one-time cash grant of $100 per returning family member. This means a family of five receives $500. Eligible families may also receive an additional one-time payment of $300 per family. Participants are allowed to take up to 8 cubic meters of luggage, in addition to personal bags.
Four trips through December 9
Under the preliminary schedule, the trips will depart on the following dates:
- November 18: From the north, with the gathering point at the Rashid Karami International Fair in Tripoli.
- November 25: From Beirut via the Masnaa border crossing; the gathering point has not yet been determined.
- December 2: From the north, departing from the Rashid Karami International Fair.
- December 9: From Beirut via the Masnaa border crossing; the gathering point has not yet been determined.
Arrival points in Syria include Rural Damascus, Damascus, Homs, Hama, Idlib and Aleppo. Each returnee will be informed of their final arrival point during the interview. UNHCR warned that trips may be canceled or postponed because of the security situation or road closures, adding that the program will continue through December 31, 2026, and that any extension will be announced later.
The announcement highlights the November 25 trip from Beirut as the next return journey for which UNHCR is reminding people, meaning those wishing to join it must contact the agency by mid-November.
How can people register to return?
Registration begins by calling UNHCR at 04726111 at least 10 days before the desired departure date, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. After selecting a language, callers should press 5. Registration is also available through an online contact form. UNHCR will call registrants back to explain the procedures, then conduct an in-person interview at the Case Processing Center in Beirut or at community centers in Tripoli and Zahlé. All family members wishing to return must attend the interview.
After the interview, UNHCR issues a “return form,” an official document recognized by Lebanon’s General Security Directorate. UNHCR stresses that people should not leave their homes or sell their property before their participation is confirmed and they receive the form. Registering an intention to return does not guarantee selection, and anyone who has not been contacted 10 days before the next trip has not been assigned a seat on it.
The cash grant is unconditional and can be collected from any OMT branch after recipients receive text messages containing the transfer code. The main applicant must appear with the return form within one week. The additional $300 grant is available to families that include a person with a disability or someone with a serious illness, are headed by a single father or mother, include a child at risk or an unaccompanied child, or have eight or more returning members.
Several documents are accepted for entry into Syria, including a passport even if it has expired, or simply a copy of it; a personal identity card; and an individual civil registry extract. A family booklet is accepted to establish the identity of children when accompanied by one of the parents. Questions about the trip can be directed to the International Organization for Migration at 03099756. UNHCR confirms that all of its services are free and urges anyone who feels pressured into returning or is being exploited to contact the agency immediately.
Lebanese push to accelerate returns
The schedule follows similar ones announced by UNHCR in August and September. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Tuesday that his country could no longer accommodate more Syrian displaced people and called for aid to be directed to them inside Syria. His remarks came a day after a Lebanese government delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri held talks in Damascus with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani on organizing returns.
Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen el-Sayed said in October that around 700,000 Syrians had returned from Lebanon to their country by September 2026, citing UNHCR data. Returnees can check the services available inside Syria through the syriaishome.org platform or by calling 01121812333 from Sunday to Thursday.
Main image: Syrian refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley (DFID via Wikimedia Commons). Images in the article: UNHCR Lebanon website and DFID via Wikimedia Commons
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