Report: French Source Says Syria Doesn’t Want Refugees Back

The Syrian regime “does not want the return of Syrian refugees” after turning down requests of several hundreds seeking to go back to their hometowns, the pan-Arab al-Hayat daily reported on Monday.

“Lebanon has become certain now that the Syrian regime doesn’t really want the refugees' return. The Syrian regime has not given them permits that allow their return,” a French source told the daily on condition of anonymity.

The source said the issue was highlighted during talks between French Deputy Diplomatic Advisor Aurelien Lechevallier and the President’s chief adviser Mireille Aoun.

“Some 3000 displaced are able to go back to Syria and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said they can return to Qalamon. But, the Syrian regime is not giving permits. It allowed only 200 to return while giving some women permits to return, excluding the men,” he added.

“Paris realizes how big the burden of Syrian refugees is no Lebanon, but it also believes that the Syrian regime does not want that,” stressed the source.

On Sunday, around 70 Syrian refugees have returned to their war-torn homeland from Lebanon as part of a repatriation program the Lebanese government says is voluntary.

The National News Agency reported the return on Sunday, after an earlier group of some 400 Syrians went back last week. The refugees registered with Lebanese authorities, who provided buses to take them across the border.

Damascus has approved the return of 450 refugees from Lebanon from a list of 3,000 requesting to do so.

Lebanon hosts just under one million registered refugees from the conflict in neighboring Syria, although authorities say the real number is much higher.

As some battlefronts in Syria's devastating seven-year war have quietened, Lebanese officials are ramping up demands that refugees go home.

The repatriations come amid a dispute between the government of Lebanon and the U.N.'s refugee agency, which Beirut accuses of trying to discourage refugees from going home. UNHCR rejects the charges.