Syria and Lebanon discuss refugee returns and child protection

DAMASCUS — Officials from Syria and Lebanon discussed cooperation on the return of Syrian refugees, child protection and social welfare services on Monday, according to Arab News. The talks came as the two countries seek to strengthen ties and expand coordination between their governments.

Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat said the talks focused on three areas: "the return of Syrians to their hometowns, child protection and the exchange of expertise in social protection." She spoke at a joint press conference in Damascus with her Lebanese counterpart, Haneen Sayed, the report said.

According to the report, Kabawat said the two countries were entering a new phase in relations. She thanked Lebanon for hosting hundreds of thousands of Syrian families during difficult times. She also described the protection of children as a shared responsibility and said young people should be in school, not forced to work.

The ministers also discussed ways to strengthen Syria's national social protection systems, including cash-assistance programmes, using Lebanon's experience. Kabawat said the two countries would prepare a memorandum of understanding and a joint executive programme on this issue.

Sayed said reciprocal visits by ministers in recent months showed the growth of bilateral relations. She said rebuilding Syria meant more than repairing damaged infrastructure. It also meant protecting people, restoring the social fabric and rebuilding confidence in the nation's future. She cited the return of about 700,000 refugees from Lebanon to Syria as evidence of effective coordination, according to the report.

The report did not give a date for the memorandum of understanding or the joint executive programme. It did not give independent figures for the refugee returns.

Background

Syria's civil war ended in December 2024 with the fall of the Assad regime, according to the report. Sayed said rebuilding the country after the conflict required more than physical reconstruction. Lebanon hosted large numbers of Syrian refugees during the war.