ARSAL, Lebanon—Hundreds of Syrian refugees returned home from Lebanon on Wednesday, the first day of repatriations organized by Beirut, their mood more subdued than celebratory amid concerns over a scheme that rights groups say may involve elements of coercion.
Lugging suitcases, power generators, fridges, and even chickens and mostly skirting around watching media, some 700 Syrians who had agreed to cross over gathered from early morning in a desolate northeastern border zone.
Lebanese authorities say the repatriations, under a revived program coordinated by General Security, the agency responsible for safeguarding its borders, are voluntary.
But while frontlines in Syria’s 11-year war are now largely inactive, the United Nations says flare-ups in violence and the risk of detention mean large-scale returns remain unsafe….