A girl sits in a bus waiting to return to Syria in Lebanon's northern city Tripoli, on Nov. 15, 2018. Over 400 Syrian refugees returned on Thursday to their homeland from areas in Lebanon including Bekaa and Aarsal, local media reported. (Xinhua/Khalid)
BEIRUT, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Over 400 Syrian refugees returned on Thursday to their homeland from areas in Lebanon including Bekaa and Aarsal, local media reported.
Buses arrived at meeting points where refugees were transported along with their bags to Masnaa and Aboudiya borders, according to Elnashra, an online independent newspaper.
The National News Agency (NNA) reported that the return of refugees took place under the supervision of Lebanon's General Security.
"Lebanon's General Security took all the necessary measures to facilitate the voluntary return of refugees in coordination with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees," according to NNA.
Lebanon is hosting 976,000 registered Syrian refugees, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, while the government estimates the true number of Syrian refugees in the country at 1.5 million.
The flow of Syrian refugees to Lebanon has weighed heavily on the country's economy.
This prompted Russia to draft a strategy that would secure a safe and gradual return for Syrian refugees to their homeland.
