(11 Sep 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beirut, Lebanon – 11 September 2025
1. Various of Syrian refugees gathering to join buses leaving for Syria and going through security check
2. Refugees’ luggage and belongings
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nahed Al- Khalid, Syrian refugee from Homs:
"I’m happy to be returning to my family. I love seeing my family. They were in Turkey, and it’s been about 10 years since I last saw them. Now I’m going to see my family, thank God. (Reporter asking off-camera: Today, you are going to your family and you are going to smell the (Syrian) earth, what is on your mind?) I’m happy, it’s an indescribable feeling. I’m happy to be seeing my family, my siblings grew up."
4. Various of volunteers carrying belongings, including mattresses, bags, then loading them onto trucks
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abo Mahammad, Syrian refugee from Idlib:
"Thank God, I’m returning to the homeland, and I’m so happy. Thank you to the United Nations for giving us this opportunity. I sincerely thank them so much for allowing us to return to our country. (Reporter asking off-camera: What are you going to feel first thing when you get back to your country?) I am going to feel freedom, a longing for my family, for my country, for my friends. I’ve been away from them for 13 years."
6. Various of Lebanese security forces checking names of refugees
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Imen Moncer, external relations officer at the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR in Lebanon:
"Today, we have nearly 300 Syrian refugees returning to Syria, to Homs, Hama and Idlib as part of the Organized Voluntary Repatriation Program, implemented in cooperation between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration. This program, the Organized Voluntary Repatriation Program was launched on July 1st, in coordination with the Lebanese government and the General Directorate of General Security."
8. Various of volunteers carrying belongings, including mattresses and bags then loading them onto trucks
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Imen Moncer, external relations officer at the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR in Lebanon:
"The General Security Directorate has provided support. As part of the coordination held over this program, the refugees who wish to return to Syria can leave at crossing points without facing fines or entry bans even if they have to pay fines or have entered the country illegally. This will continue until the end of September."
10. Various of refugees gathering and climbing bus
STORYLINE:
A second group of Syrian refugees left Lebanon on Thursday for Syria under a plan the United Nations developed with the Lebanese government following the downfall of Bashar Assad’s rule in December.
"I’m happy to be returning to my family. I love seeing my family. They were in Turkey, and it’s been about 10 years since I last saw them," said Nahed al-Khalid, Syrian refugee from Homs.
The repatriation effort is organized by Lebanon’s General Security Directorate and the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR.
Refugees gathered early in the morning with their belongings to board buses bound for Syria.
"Today, we have nearly 300 Syrian refugees returning to Syria, to Homs, Hama and Idlib," said Imen Moncer, the external relations officer at UNHCR in Lebanon.
The voluntary repatriation program has the UN refugee agency offering $100 in cash to each repatriated Syrian refugee and the Lebanese authorities are waiving any fees or fines they owe.
The first group of Syrian refugees left Lebanon under this program in July.
AP video shot by Fadi Tawil
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