The U.N. refugee agency in Lebanon says the U.S. lifting sanctions on Syria could encourage more refugees to return. Since the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024, around 400,000 Syrian refugees have returned from Lebanon. About 1 million remain, with 636,000 officially registered. Refugees returning from neighboring countries receive $600 per family, but many face destroyed homes and no jobs. The U.S. Senate voted to permanently remove the sweeping Caesar Act sanctions, which could boost investments in Syria, UNHCR Lebanon Representative Karolina Lindholm Billing said.
