Roundup: Syrian refugees in Lebanon with cautious hope on the eve of crisis anniversary

On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Syrian crisis and despite the ongoing military clashes and massive destruction, many Syrian refugees who take shelter in Lebanon have been encouraged to return to their hometowns.

The Lebanese border checkpoints recently witnessed a substantial movement of refugees carrying bags full of foodstuff and medical supplies back to their country due to fears of not meeting their needs in Lebanon.

Official Lebanese security sources told Xinhua that during the past few weeks, many Syrians taking refuge in Lebanon have checked out at the border, deciding to drop their "refugee status" after failing to weekly register at the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

Abou Ahmad Jad al-Hassan, displaced from Idlib, told Xinhua that in less than a month, over 34 Syrian families left the camps they were staying in the southern Lebanese Marjeyoun district and headed back to Syria.

"The motives were diverse, starting from severe cold weather which threatened the lives of seniors and children, to the raids carried out by Lebanese security agencies scouting for suspected terrorists hiding among civilian refugees," he said.

However, Omar al-Muhammadi, displaced from the devastated city of Homs, had a different explanation.

He told Xinhua that "unfortunately, many young refugees have been seduced by the high wages paid by militant groups, particularly the terrorist Islamic State (IS) group, who pay in dollars any individual who carries a gun and joins their fight against the regime. Several young refugees left to join these groups."

For her part, Samia al-Madihi, displaced from Damascus, criticized the media which reports how foreigners leave their lives in European countries and come to Syria to join jihadist groups, which presents a negative incentive for young refugees who leave Lebanon to join these groups.

However, al-Madihi explained to Xinhua that the number of these people is still small compared with 1.2 million refugees in Lebanon.

Abou Amjad Zaher al-Sehouri from Idlib told Xinhua that "it seems the war in our country is going to last for a long time and that is our main concern."

"We do not know what is going to happen. Our priority on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Syrian crisis is that the situation in Lebanon remain calm and terrorism does not infiltrate the country. Lebanon's security is our main concern as it guarantees the safety of the refugees," he said.

Hisham al-Lakkis, a former professor at Aleppo university, who was forced to flee his hometown with his family and accepted a teaching job in one of the Bekaa schools, said the international envoys' efforts to forge a truce in Aleppo are a hopeful sign and the first step toward restoring peace and security in Syria.

He said the visit of French officials to Syria and their meeting with President Assad "made us realize the good intentions of the world community in attempting to reach a political solution. This is a positive approach and we hope it is serious."

According to the UNHCR, Lebanon is hosting over 1.2 million refugees who present a challenge to the economic, social and security situation in the country.

The Lebanese government has repeatedly called on the international community to share in the responsibility of hosting the refugees, whose expenses according to the World Bank are estimated to be around 7 billion dollars.

This year, the government began applying strict measures to control the influx of Syrians into the country, including forcing them to provide official documentation detailing the purpose of their visit, and refusing re-entry into Lebanon of any Syrian registered as a refugee. Endit