Can the Syrian families we work with begin to return home?

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Last month Human Rights Watch published a report identifying how, despite the messages being put out about a welcome back, residents are being blocked from returning because of the destruction of their property and rights.

Their Middle East Director Lama Fakih said that “Russia and Syria are calling on people to return to attract reconstruction funding, but as always with the Syrian government, reality is much different. In demolishing their homes and restricting access to their property, the Syrian government is signalling that despite official rhetoric inviting Syrians ‘home,’ they do not want refugees or displaced persons back.” 

Nuna Matar leads the work we support for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. She says, “The welcome home is not rhetoric, there have been some genuine changes in policy and they are making it as easy as possible for Syrians to return, but the destruction of people’s homes is a real issue”.

Nuna describes how the Lebanese government have removed a number of fees and taxes and provided free buses and luggage allowance across the border. The Syrian government are also encouraging large scale return, as they have no young men left to rebuild or work.

​Whereas in the past if an individual returned they would be put in jail and then sent to the army; at present the government will at least give a returning young man six months to set up their home and settle their family.

She says “There are around 500 people returning each day, which sounds like a lot but when you think there’s over a million refugees in Lebanon, it’s a slow return. There are a few people we know that have gone back, but not many yet”.

We have been supporting Nuna’s organisation for the last four years to provide education for around 500 Syrian refugee children in the Bekaa Valley. As the situation evolves, the team are looking to prepare the children for different eventualities.

A major part of this is centralising the three tent schools we currently support in three different refugee camps into one brand new school building (see image above). This will have room to educate around 350 children, with space for an office and a lot of room outside to play.

This new school set up will not only provide better facilities, but will enable children to become accustomed to a larger, more structured learning environment, to prepare them for entry into mainstream school if they return to Syria.

Making visits across the border and into Syria, Nuna has observed the desecration of the villages that people are being expected to return to. “Their homes are completely destroyed, there are no jobs, no people, no services, so although they are being encouraged to return, it is more complicated than that”.

After providing ongoing support for displaced people within Syria, our partners now have a number of different plans to help those returning to the country, the first of which will be the opening of a Community Centre in the suburbs of Damascus in December. They are also looking at establishing a series of ‘safe parks’ for children in Syria.

​Nuna says “Children are not used to playing in Syria and everyone is depressed. They are often neglected and don’t often play at home”. Consequently the parks will not only be colourful spaces with play equipment, but will be used to deliver quality psychosocial support programmes.

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​Watch this space to see the development of these plans and click the buttons below to get involved.

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