Around 120,000 Syrians returned voluntarily from Lebanon in early 2026, official says

Approximately 120,000 Syrians voluntarily returned from Lebanon during the first four months of 2026, according to Syrian border authorities, amid continued cross-border movement between the two countries.

Mazen Alloush, head of public relations at Syria’s General Authority for Borders and Customs, said more than 3.4 million travelers crossed Syrian border points between January and April this year, including roughly 1.26 million arrivals from Lebanon.

In comments posted Saturday on X, Alloush said the Jousieh border crossing on the Lebanese frontier had seen smooth passenger movement due to organizational measures and facilitation procedures implemented by Syrian authorities.

He said officials were working to simplify border procedures, improve services for travelers, and coordinate with neighboring countries to ease the movement of passengers and commercial trucks.

The Jousieh crossing has become one of the main transit points for Syrians returning from Lebanon, where many refugees have faced growing economic pressure and tighter residency restrictions in recent years.

The authority says that efforts are ongoing to facilitate crossings and support returning citizens as part of broader measures aimed at improving stability for returnees.

R.A/ABD