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In War-Torn Syria.. Property Purchases Reveal Lebanese Settlement Intentions
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Lebanese people's trend toward permanent settlement in Syria represents a dangerous shift that could lead to reshaping the demographic composition in exhausted Syrian regions
Syrian opposition figure Ghassan Ibrahim revealed, through a tweet on X platform, the influx of more than 700,000 Lebanese refugees into Syria, mostly from southern Lebanon, in a phenomenon that could lead to new demographic changes in the war-torn country.
Ibrahim worryingly pointed to financially capable Lebanese displaced persons' tendency to purchase properties in Syria, indicating intentions for permanent settlement in a country that has lost about half of its population during the war years.
This development comes at a time when Syria is suffering from a large population vacuum in many areas due to the displacement of millions of Syrians, creating an opportunity for settling new population groups in abandoned areas.
While Ibrahim welcomes civilian arrivals regardless of their sects, his hint at "planning for no return" raises questions about the future implications of this demographic shift on Syria's population composition.
This wave of displacement coincides with an unprecedented economic collapse in Syria, making property purchases attractive to wealthy Lebanese, in a phenomenon that could lead to profound changes in the Syrian social fabric.
These developments raise concerns about the possibility of large-scale demographic change in Syria, especially in the absence of any clear plans for the return of millions of displaced Syrians, which could lead to the formation of a new demographic reality in the country.
It appears that the worsening Lebanese crisis is pushing more Lebanese people toward seeking permanent stability in Syria, taking advantage of low property prices and the weak Syrian pound, in a phenomenon that could leave its mark on the future demographic composition of the region.
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