The situation & needs of lebanese returnees from Syria

The scale of the migration crisis in countries neighbouring Syria is nowhere greater than in Lebanon. Among the huge numbers of vulnerable displaced persons in the country, Lebanese returnees represent an important and largely under-assisted group. These families, most of whom had been living in Syria for decades, began to return to Lebanon in large numbers in 2011 as a result of the conflict. They find themselves living in difficult circumstances in their country of origin, but have often gone unassisted, in part due to their Lebanese citizenship (and therefore lack of refugee status) and in part due to an abscence of accurate information regarding their living conditions and needs.

In July 2013, the Lebanese High Relief Commission (HRC) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched a project, supported by the UN’s Emergency Response Fund (ERF), to register Lebanese returnees and establish a detailed profile of their location, circumstances and needs. The registration exercise, which lasted from July to October 2013, was implemented by the HRC, with technical support and training from IOM. In total, 3,206 households (17,510 individuals) were registered across the country. Working
through local municipalities, efforts were made to reach as many Lebanese returnees as possible. Since the completion of this first phase of registration, IOM and the HRC have worked together to analyse the data collected. The result is the following report, which both agencies hope will inform future interventions to assist this often overlooked group of forced migrants.