Syrian refugees wait to return to their homeland, in Tripoli, Lebanon, Dec. 6, 2018. Over 1,000 Syrian refugees returned Thursday to their homeland from different areas in Lebanon including Nabatieh, Bekaa, Tripoli and Shabaa, Elnashra. The return of refugees took place under the supervision of Lebanon's General Security in cooperation with the Lebanese army. (Xinhua/Khalid)
BEIRUT, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Over 1,000 Syrian refugees returned Thursday to their homeland from different areas in Lebanon including Nabatieh, Bekaa, Tripoli and Shabaa, Elnashra, an online independent newspaper reported.
The return of refugees took place under the supervision of Lebanon's General Security in cooperation with the Lebanese army.
"Lebanon's General Security is keen on continuously securing a voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their towns," said Colonel Khattar Nasreddine, head of the Public Security Information Division in the North.
Nasreddine said that the voluntary return of refugees to their homeland is in the interest of both the Syrian and the Lebanese population.
More than one million Syrian refugees are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Lebanon. The government estimated the true number of Syrians in the country to be 1.5 million.
To facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, Russia drafted a strategy and presented it to the Lebanese authorities.
The strategy aims at securing the return of 890,000 refugees to Syria.
