The increasing number of Syrian refugees returning from Lebanon risks fueling sector-specific labor shortages in Lebanon's agricultural and construction sectors, increasing production costs, slowing economic growth and fueling preexisting economic grievances, though the Lebanese government will still reject key economic reforms. For Syria, mass returns will provide a boost to the labor force, but also pressure social services and do little in the near term to address huge reconstruction challenges. According to an Aug. 27 report from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 713,000 of the estimated 1.79 million Syrian refugees who have returned to Syria following the December 2024 collapse of former President Bashar al Assad's rule came from Lebanon highlighting their position in both countries.