Recently, Carnegie released a major report on Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan titled “Unheard Voices: What Syrian Refugees Need to Return Home.” The lead author was Maha Yahya, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center, who has worked extensively on refugee questions in recent years and has published several articles on the topic at Diwan. The purpose of the report was to outline refugee attitudes toward the prospect of return, and determine what preconditions refugees might have before deciding to go home. The report found that, “[w]hat is most striking is that despite the increasingly difficult challenges they face, a majority are unwilling to go back unless a political transition can assure their safety and security, access to justice, and right of return to areas of origin.” Diwan sat down with Yahya in mid-April to discuss the report and its wider implications.
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