Up to 400,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon may be set to return home under a UN-backed plan providing financial incentives, according to a document seen by The National.
Under the scheme endorsed by the Lebanese government, thousands have already registered to leave this week aided by $500 for each family, Lebanon’s Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said.
Reuters reported the minister as saying Syrians will be provided with $100 before departing in addition to $400 for each family upon arrival in Syria.
Transport costs are also covered, while border fees and fines for overstaying in Lebanon have been waived, a Lebanese security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The National.
Last week, Lebanon’s General Security Directorate – the country’s primary intelligence body concerned with foreigners – implemented a three-month scheme to waive all fines related to entry and residency violations in a bid to encourage refugees to return to their home countries.
“In a best-case scenario, up to 400,000 Syrians, including 5,000 PRS [Palestinian refugees from Syria], may voluntarily return from Lebanon by the end of 2025,” says a copy of the Lebanon Response Plan seen by The National.
That number would constitute around 25 per cent of Lebanon’s Syrian refugee population. Already, the document said, more than 123,000 Syrians have departed – around 65,000 of whom were verified by the UN refugee agency as having travelled home.
The Lebanese government is prioritising the closure of informal tented settlements – unofficial refugee camps where around 200,000 refugees live, the Lebanese security official told The National.
More than six million Syrians fled their country in the years after 2011 during a 13-year civil war. The vast majority sought refuge in nearby countries Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.
Lebanon took in the highest concentration per capita, hosting 1.5 million refugees – accounting for around 25 per cent of Lebanon's population.
Returning to Syria was previously viewed as unsafe during the war due to fears of prosecution by the Assad regime. Former president Bashar Al Assad was toppled in December by Islamist insurgents and since taking over, the new government has said all Syrians are welcome home.
Syria is in need of major reconstruction, with much of the country struggling with a lack of basic infrastructure and services such as water and electricity.
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Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
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Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas
Two out of five stars
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
The Greatest Royal Rumble card
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
