Syrian regime is calling on refugees to return, saying it has successfully cleared large areas of "terrorists."
Tuesday's appeal reflects the regime's growing confidence after more than seven years of war. Syrian regime forces, with crucial support from Russia and Iran, recently retook large areas near the capital, Damascus, and are waging a new offensive in the south. The regime refers to all armed opposition groups as terrorists.
Over 5.6 million Syrians have fled the country. The Foreign Ministry says many internally displaced have already returned home, urging refugees to do same.
Many Syrians are unable to return because their homes were destroyed in the fighting, or because they fear military conscription or retribution from government forces.
On May, 3,000 refugees were set to leave northeast Lebanon to the Qalamoun region, despite the United Nations saying conditions are still not suitable and refusing to organize the returns.
Syrian refugees in Lebanon have called on the UN refugee agency to protect them from the abuses of Lebanese security that uses the identity of UNHCR employees to delude refugees in its latest arrest campaign.
The tough retractions and mounting arrest campaign pushed thousands of refugees to move back home as fighting there subsides.
Number of Syrian refugees told Zaman al-Wasl that the Lebanese security members have been claiming that they are workers for the UNHCR to enters and interrogate the refugees in covert way; such a claim enables to arrest some of them later.
The new violation of human rights and the moral low followed Lebanon's call for refugees to return to Syria's Assad.
Lebanese officials have accused the UN refugee agency of deliberately discouraging refugees from returning.
The UNHCR has refuted the accusations, according to Al Jazeera.
Zaman Al Wasl, AP
Zaman Al Wasl
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