Syrian refugees wait to have their documents processed at the Zamarani border crossing in the countryside of Damascus, capital of Syria, on Nov. 1, 2018. Around 400 Syrian refugees on Thursday returned to their homeland from Aarsal in Lebanon, the National News Agency (NNA) reported. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)
BEIRUT, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Around 400 Syrian refugees on Thursday returned to their homeland from Aarsal in Lebanon, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.
Lebanon's General Security checked the papers of refugees who voluntarily seek to return to their homeland, NNA citing an official statement as saying.
"The return of refugees took place in the presence of the International Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations," the statement said.
Another statement carried by NNA said another batch of Syrians returned to their homeland from Burj Hammoud.
More than 1 million Syrian refugees are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon, while the government estimated the true number of Syrians in the country at 1.5 million.
To secure the return of 890,000 Syrian refugees to their homeland, Russia has drafted a strategy and presented it to the Lebanese authorities.