The Lebanese caretaker Minister of Displaced said that a convoy of Syrian refugees will head from Lebanon to Syria on Wednesday after President Aoun said that Lebanon will soon begin sending Syrian refugees back to their home country, despite concerns by rights groups over their safety.

The Lebanese government says that they are returning voluntarily.

Human rights groups say there isn’t evidence that they are being deported but the number of refugees who don’t have residency has increased and this is said to be part of a pressure campaign exerted by the govt on refugees.

Refugees cannot return without the permission of the Syrian government and a number of applications to return were
rejected.

Lebanese officials say the influx of refugees has cost the crisis-hit country billions of dollars and further damaged its crippled infrastructure while it struggles with a financial meltdown.

The UN’s Syria Commission said last month that Syria is still not a safe place to return. UNHCR has in the past opposed involuntary repatriation of refugees to Syria, and warned that the practice risks endangering the lives of those returning.

HRW issued a report on Oct 24 saying Turkish authorities arbitrarily arrested, detained, and deported hundreds of Syrian refugee men and boys to Syria between February and July 2022.

Aljazeera.