On 7 November, Turkish Deputy Interior Minister Ismail Catakli revealed that 531,326 Syrian refugees have returned to their home country.

According to official reports, over 3.6 million Syrian refugees are officially registered in Turkey.

Catakli added that the international community has been negatively impacted by the influx of Syrian migrants escaping the western-sponsored war, and that Turkey will continue its efforts to prevent illegal immigration across its territory.

This comes alongside a renewed military campaign by Ankara in northern Syria that seeks to establish a “safe zone” for repatriated Syrians.

Since the start of the Syrian war in 2011, over 13.4 million Syrian refugees have fled their country.

Lebanon hosts the second largest population of Syrian refugees after Turkey, estimated at 1.5 million. Since last month, Beirut has been implementing a repatriation plan that seeks to ease the burden for the crisis-struck nation.

On 5 November, a new group of Syrian refugees left Lebanon under protection from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Directorate of General Security.

On 25 October, the head of Lebanon’s General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, emphasized that the repatriation process is entirely voluntary and will not “force any displaced to return” to Syria.

Last month, an exclusive source revealed to The Cradle that the Syrian government has been very cooperative in repatriating the refugees but that it “will take a lot of time and effort” before it is completed.

The source added that the western-led international community “does not agree” with this repatriation process and has so far “refused to help.”