Lebanon resumes voluntary returns of Syrians

Lebanon resumed Tuesday "voluntary returns" of Syrians, with dozens of families set to pass through two land border crossings in the country's east, a year and a half after such returns were paused.

300 refugees are expected to leave from Arsal in the Bekaa Valley on the Lebanese side of the border with Syria to Homs and al-Qalamoun in Syria, media reports said.

"We have a permanently open center in the municipality of Arsal to receive and register those wishing to leave voluntarily," a security official told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, in remarks published Tuesday.

Syrian refugees were seen Tuesday in Arsal standing near trucks carrying their belongings as they prepared to leave back to Syria.

Lebanon says it currently hosts around two million people from neighboring Syria -- the world's highest number of refugees per capita -- with almost 785,000 registered with the United Nations.

Lebanon's economy collapsed in late 2019, turning it into a launchpad for migrants, with Lebanese joining Syrians and Palestinian refugees making perilous Europe-bound voyages.

Some Lebanese politicians have blamed Syrians for their country's worsening troubles, and pressure often mounts ahead of an annual conference on Syria in Brussels, with ministers meeting this year on May 27.

Rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have warned that Syria is not safe for returns.