Syrian Refugees Fled Assad’s Rule, Now They’re Returning. (HBO)

As Syrian regime bombs started to drop over his hometown of Homs, Mohammed Jassem gathered his two children and wife, and set out for the nearest border. They followed a handful of Syrians fleeing the conflict to the town of Sa’ad Nayel in Lebanon, just west of the border. There they set up a makeshift tent on open farmland, across from a small river.
The plan was to stay there for a few months until the fighting died down. It’s been seven years.
Today, Jassem pays $100 a month to rent 200 square feet of property in a refugee camp known as 003. His family has grown by two, and he’s drowning in debt, behind on three months of rent, barely earning any money with the few shifts of manual labor he’s able to secure.
Lebanon has more Syrian refugees per capita than any other country in the world - roughly 1.5 million. But the country, mired in its own crises, has struggled to provide much in the way of lasting support to its neediest neighbors. Instead, many refugees like Jassem have grown weary of the poor living conditions and limited opportunities for work.
It’s gotten so bad, he’s decided to do something he once thought unthinkable: take the Syrian government at its word and accept the plan announced last July to repatriate refugees.
Parts of Syria may still be at war. Its infrastructure may be decimated. Jassem’s home in Homs is certainly no longer there, flattened by Russian airstrikes just days after he fled. But he’s joining 90,000 others Syrians who’ve already gone back anyway, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In January, Jassem applied for one-way bus tickets home.
“We have had enough,” he told VICE News. “This is it now. We can't take any more. It's all bad here. Everything is sour in Lebanon. There's nothing that's good here.”
VICE News traveled to Lebanon earlier this year to see how Syrian refugees are getting by in Lebanon, and to speak with those who’ve decided to return home.
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VICE News traveled to Lebanon earlier this year to see how Syrian refugees are getting by in Lebanon, and to speak with those who’ve decided to return home. WATCH NEXT: This is life inside Assad's Syria - bit.ly/2EDPKGC

[@anasshuaib5436]

You are liars the problem in Syria is not Assad but isreali and Western and Turkish and gulf backed militants and teorrists that are destroied

[@cyberh5840]

@@anasshuaib5436 رقوك لتشبح بالإنكليزي؟

[@illusions77]

Fire the guy who put the stupid propaganda title. They fled US created ISIS, funded by UAE and Saudi Arabia, supported by israel. Why they returning is cos the Russians, Iranians and Hezbullah’s fight against ISIS....

[@InayetHadi]

assad and putin created isis to discredit the Syrian people who were and continue to fight against an alawit shia regime headed by assad who murdered and oppressed the 83% of the population who were not alawites. Hopefully the Syrian people will continue to work towards a future where the minority are not ruling with absolute power to kill and murder those Syrians who want to live free from alawit oppression and murder. Amin

[@rischakmeador186]

You would be better off actually telling the truth instead of spreading lies. Too many people know better now.

[@skewed9942]

Let us hope that the situation in Syria becomes better so that the many refugees who fled from war can return to their homeland.

[@MK1l]

Yeah hope is as good as nothing if there's no action taken

[@skewed9942]

@Christopher Fairfield Well, Hillary is retired and Obama isn't really president anymore so I don't see what they should do in this case.

[@skewed9942]

​@Christopher Fairfield Yes, Obama got the US involved in Libya and Syria and what happened in Libya was a shitshow. But the people of those nations started those wars themselves. You can blame the Obama administration for what happened in Libya and rightfully so, but to blame them entirely for what's going on in those countries is a bit unfair.

[@nunayabusiness5850]

Racist. Why do you want them to return home??

[@carljohnson2194]

Amen by god willing

[@Frenchkisssss]

Good luck syrian people, you deserve peace.

[@user-qc9rq3vb2z]

@@ShitBagSPC How about you use the right"their" instead buddy

[@ShitBagSPC]

E Who cares grammar nazi, you still understood what i mean't

[@ShitBagSPC]

E Grammar nazi. There I fixed it

[@chriswatson1698]

A man who is living in a tent with little employment and already has two children, yet starts two more children, is a wicked evil man who deserves to be castrated.

[@oliveolive8837]

Oh right, it was specifically Assad they were fleeing and not the civil war. Gotcha.

[@oliveolive8837]

@@Name-jz4fb I could say the same about the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, a nation that, when typed into google, will always return results about executing someone for petty shit. Including right now.

[@dkinx-ofshitcoins1942]

................... you are the donkey for not researching about the truth, long live Assad

[@arabicempress]

@@Name-jz4fb shut up you donkey you know nothing of Dr. Bashar Al Asad!

[@r.a1301]

@@arabicempress are you Shia?

[@yaz2928]

@@r.a1301 So what if she is? Are you Wahhabi?

[@jandorcaptain4103]

yeah they fled from Assad not ISIS, and they return when Assad won against ISIS...

[@Procrastinators]

They fled from air strikes, the air strikes stopped so they returned, not rocket science

[@ibrahimshaker2498]

They have fled from Assad and Isis as well

[@HabibChamoun]

Assad regime isn't good but it's way better than terrorists and isis. Syrians would rather have assad who won't be imposing the extremist sharia law. Anyways assad had no choice but to stay in power because if he would have implanted democracy in Syria, then an extremist sunni muslim would have taken over the country, because 90% of the population is sunni, and it would have been a mess, just like lybia today with a slave market. Thank you

[@vonabele7546]

@@Procrastinators Lol just showing your true colours, Mohamedans like you.. that is why Algeria is in misery..

[@HabibChamoun]

@@Procrastinators I am a christian, not even represented in syrian politics. The only reason why arab countries are always in dispute and in a bad spot is because of radical islam. Forget about muslim denominations (sunni, shia and alawi). The problem is in the quran (sharia). Call me what you want but I am just stating the truth. Read it in your book. Now they want to take over the occident. We must protect our judeo christian values because it is them that shaped the prosperous societies. Everywhere where islam mentality gets implanted, the society falls apart. Look at europe now...

[@d4lep0ro]

> Fled Assad’s Rule Fled war in any case. Biased title

[@kurtilein3]

Assad started the war, and he is also responsible for the air strikes against the population and the use of chemical weapons against the population.

[@pepps779]

@@kurtilein3 Everyone involved in the conflict has been accused of human rights violations at this point. This whole thing is going to be happily swept under the rug by every major party involved. As for Assad starting it, well there might be some truth in that, even if it is a bit one sided, with the war kicking off as a result of the whole Arab Spring mess.

[@kurtilein3]

@Tai Co It started with peaceful protests. Assad decided to use snipers to shoot peaceful protesters into the head or chest. Protests then turned violent after many had died on one side. Assad then bombed entire cities if they had a slightly higher than normal amount of his opponents. It went downhill from there, Assad escalated it into genocide, power vacuums created by his mayhem invited in ISIS.

[@kurtilein3]

@Fidencio Cosme Why do you lie? Are you one of those disgusting pro-Assad trolls?

[@Bekltuvanetko]

d4lep0ro Bashar is gonna hang him.

[@ayubahmed3151]

I remembered when we fled Mogadishu in 2006 after two months of fighting between Ethiopian forces and local insurgency groups. After three months we returned our city. You won't find any place that is better than your origin home.

[@jokerofmorocco]

Then why can't you tell more Somalis in Europe to go back to Somalia

[@megsinzoa7424]

@@ayubahmed3151 you are just a terrible troll. Very very bad, piss be uppon you.

[@canabcabdi1014]

@@jokerofmorocco hey who are you when you speak somali refugees we came Europe and became your kings

[@daxflame4743]

Always intervening other nations domestic business

[@bodyboarding06]

Didn't the Lebanese people get the memo that refugees are great for economic and cultural enrichment?

[@tuts351]

I'd want to rebuild my country too if I was them. Than be treated like beggars in a foreign land

[@mauritaniamint]

As someone who has known Syrians before the war, it breaks my heart when I see how they are treated by this world. A great nation, culture, and people reduced to the status of refugees. I’m glad they’re going back to their home. It is sad how arabs treated them. Syrian are among a few arab nations that still has dignity and pride. Love from Mauritania

[@fortis3686]

Well I’m sure that many people will be happy the fighting in Syria is dying down. And no, I’m not talking about just the refugees

[@DropShopCentral]

Alonzo Aldaba it’s very sad how they have to be killed and the children have no education and a slim future. Terrible

[@amersirazuddin223]

@IL__KINGDOM ABRAHAM they cant have because of brain washed west

[@anandhrajan99]

@IL__KINGDOM ABRAHAM Let's not forget which country destabilized the region with their illegal wars and interventions. Moron.

[@mohamedgurhan515]

@IL__KINGDOM ABRAHAM lol islam flourished the middle east while Europe was in Dark ages because of christianity. Ever heard of Golden islamic ages. You wouldn't type such nonsense if it wasn't an islamic scholar who invented algebra and algorithm, without algorithm they wouldn't able to make the computers and smartphones. Have some humility please before you say such nonsense. Midday East is behind because west colonial let alone the destruction of middle east by West and NATO for their resources Iraq,afghanistan,syria

[@sarahjb3004]

@@mohamedgurhan515 the so called Muslim scientists were mostly atheists and were brutally attacked by the Muslim caliphate that considered them blasphemes. after hundreds of years, the Arabs' educational systems started boasting about them just to polish the ugly face of Islam. read some books and do some research before taking a stand. Muslims are only consumers and the middle east is providing nothing to the world except egotistical individuals who think they're better than everyone else just because they were born Muslims. can we stop blaming the world for our problems?

[@cursedapostate3705]

Honestly those who choose to return to Syria I have great respect for. My main problem with the refugees was that there were too many breaking the rules of the countries that hosted them and that many nation's were covering up or not acknowledging the crimes. In all honesty I have no problem with countries allowing refugees from war torn nation's in as long as they are respectful and don't cause too much trouble

[@jasmineali5699]

Most regugees would love to go back. Being a minority sucks and is hard. They flee for a reason.

[@cursedapostate3705]

@@jasmineali5699 yeah that's why I'm more sympathetic.

[@Miquelalalaa]

It’s unsustainable.

[@xxdarkslayerlord1922]

@abdo abdo nah there woudn't be any ways if groups in the middle east would stop fighting!

[@sexycrptobitcoinchic9060]

I don't think you have the right information's Ronin! if they had provided food, shelter, jobs why would anyone break the law? although, there is a group of people who take a pleasure of commit a crime and blame it on refugees. we should open are arms to all humanity with love this what we owe God

[@staycb.8623]

I pray for peace and happiness for everyone❤️

[@saraicruz38]

The way he said there’s nothing good in Lebanon for them....it broke my heart.

[@saif.restifer.khomain]

Love, loyalty, and respect for Syrian people.

[@ilove2929]

Respect these men for working so hard to provide for the family... And the mothers who raise their kids in such unfortunate condition. Hope the country recovers soon so they can return and build their lives

[@rohullah5829]

They said "Assad must go!" lol

[@xxdarkslayerlord1922]

and years later he is still in power lol, he won't bend down to Western bullies

[@furkansahin5061]

@@xxdarkslayerlord1922 If he goes away it gets much worse and more chaos in syria it will not have what I understand him well

[@furkansahin5061]

@@mustafahusayn6104 FSA of course because I have seen a fsa soldier with isis flags on his jacket

[@kareemeissa9109]

Let me explain an important point for you I'm from Syria and now we live in very peaceful place Syria has a media war but stop talk about Asad Now we are living under his control and we are very satisfying and we all like our president Our real problem is the oil ,U.S.A,and Arab countries

[@iaiolibertario]

I'm still laughing!! The west is so brainwashed!!

[@FRMHEVN]

Excellent reporting . Thank you💖🙏🕊

[@hamidabdullah7710]

Sorry for sweet Syrians I wish them peace and stability.

[@ibrahimhassan1662]

They didn't flee asad they fled from war from u know who

[@skewed9942]

The optimal outcome of all this (in my opinion for both Europeans and refugees) is Syrian's and other people fleeing from war and poverty being able to move back to their homelands and live happily.

[@Jihane76]

Lebanon is a country of welcome and generosity !

[@Jihane76]

@@sola5728 Why ?You're Libanese ?

[@sola5728]

la mexicana cause look at what they’re doing to these poor syrian people. Hell naw I’m not no Lebanese

[@Jihane76]

@@sola5728 How you know Libanese people treat badly Syrian people if you are not Libanese ! You're Arab ?

[@eliejabbour8827]

@@sola5728 what do you know about it girl?? Please tell me I am very interested by your knowledge about lebanese people....

[@sola5728]

Elie Jabbour I’m going by the video LMAO😂🤷🏽‍♀️

[@riteshshinde3092]

"there is nothing good here" such a polite gesture.

[@alias6001]

when the day is done, there is no place like home

[@Higgins8]

Good news. Good luck to all of them.

[@tanveechoudhary417]

All I have for Vice now is disappointment, not anger. What happened to the young unbiased Vice?!

[@puddles5501]

everything has a bias one way or another dumbarse

[@ta13oo76]

Why are you still watching these videos then?!

[@norwegianboyee]

Okay Okay Stop watching then. Nobody is forcing you.

[@lebanese242]

Maybe it is you that is biased.

[@madsgismericamusic6216]

They died waaay long ago when they first reported on Syria. I had found vice earlier before and they seemed to do a balanced view on those reporting. Some place that reported news people didnt talk about. But then they got alligned with HBO and it all changed. They are VERY pro wester leaders and have long since stopped and do fair and unbiased reports. Vice was dead to me the day it become clear Who they now say started the war and they are still following that. They became a part of the MSM and the fake news Sad. Vice news had such Great potential.

[@MikeTyson-xu9ld]

May Allah protect all Syrians and Palestinians ❤Ameen. Lot of prayers from India and Pakistan 😇😇

[@amalrehman8601]

That's Fantastic News Syrians Don't Let Syria to be another Iraq

[@XinghuLu]

can you really blame them for working hard? you have no ideas what they've been through.

[@thegr8rambino]

because heroic and most battle hardened army on earth, SAA, took back their country and still are :)))

[@rizhashem3432]

God bless syria and syrian people

[@naskutak]

People love Basar Al

[@Brokegamer-rv6gp]

It definitely shows that the syrians are fine with their government its uncle sam who wants to create chaos in syria

[@africaart]

Lebanon is the greatest exporters of refugees (having their own towns in all countries and states of the world).

[@joeshmoe7307]

@IL__KINGDOM ABRAHAM Wonder where you get your news from smh

[@kamalLitt81]

best wishes for bright future to these people... hope that syria will become a peaceful country so that they can enjoy in their own country

[@BBZoneasembotop10]

The better..Somali ,Yemen should stabilize as well..

[@brandonbohan7281]

Yemen is actually engaged with Saudi and Irans proxy war, so just having the refugees return wouldn't stabilize it

[@Aymg]

They have fled from Assad yes, but mainly from US bombs.

[@luckystrike-zz9sh]

4:42 ... what's " Kareem Benzema " doing there!!!? 😂

[@msheehandub]

Assad is a great man and a popular leader who loves his country. I hope he can restore Syria to it's former glory without the West fcking it up again .

[@alin4507]

Long live Assad

[@bayat4734]

Syria is saffer than most europa countries now

[@kuykasamjoktar6191]

The best joke ever.🤣

[@bayat4734]

Deradorunnas Ahadarorumata syria is very safee than sweden and france

[@ahmerthehammer]

the way he stares back at that guy in the end.

[@rassulzamel6876]

Religion is the problem,,Middle eastern have to understand religion never take the country to the best you need to understand the only way is secularism

[@Marinho1980]

Fled Asad Rule .....? Vice is done

[@mani1018]

Afu Rah 👌 I have just Unsubscribed? Lol

[@Luna-um4zk]

Now if only they would leave Europe to

[@TheImpactGamingHD]

Long live Syria from your Iraqi brother, I’d love for all refugees to come to Iraq you are more than welcome 🙏🏻

[@abdullahghalib6259]

I have met Syrian refugee and a number of countries and NEVER have I heard one of them personally who says they are happy with their host country. That's a massive shame! They should be grateful for those countries allowing them in. Utterly disgusting behaviour. Ppl who are ungrateful will never be content

[@dilips2025]

Don't come to Europe

[@user-ql8ji8dj9u]

Dont bomb our country!

[@tristanpatterson3843]

Don't vote for warmongers!

[@norwegianboyee]

dilip s Don’t come to KZbin.

[@SaraSara-rp2zk]

Stop destroying our country

[@tinotarantino3483]

Come to Türkiye

[@OneSpirituality]

Jokes on Western agenda this time. Long Live Syria!

[@Vic-ek1fv]

My Syrian brothers and sisters, I know your pain. I’m Venezuelan and left my country. Outside I feel alone, I face xenophobia, I struggle to survive with scarce resources. I’m just 17, but all the time I feel melancholic about my homeland. I just want my country to get better, for the evil regime to leave so I can come back.

[@colingallagher1443]

Maria Victoria Cárdenas Guerra - I applaud you for learning English and assimilating to your new country. It’s better not to pine about Venezuela - focus on how to be a productive member of the society that you are living in. Complaining about the country that gave you sanctuary as being xenophobic doesn’t win anyone favors.

[@Vic-ek1fv]

@@colingallagher1443 Lol I have spoken English my whole life. I live in a Spanish speaking country. And I'm not saying the country is xenophobic (and It's really not. It's actually amazing) I said I face xenophobia. While I agree with you, It's important to address xenophobia. Venezuelans, Syrians, Somalians, now sadly some Burmese, are seen by other countries (Mostly other developing countries) like less than human beings because of the huge influx. Once you have so many foreign people, you start seeing as a faceless, expendible mass.

[@kasbox4079]

Before talking against any government or organization, think of the word "humanity". There are so many fighters from ISIS, the Syrian Army and the Rebels that were forced to fight and die or go for the wrong way. Syria is a great country where you can find the good and the bad things, this kind of countries should be better than ever, military and economically.

[@ninofromkitchennightmares1497]

And can you imagine there are people who say refugees should just go back home on the comment section of media videos yet that same media they watch says chemical weapons are being used

[@agustinuslamba9361]

Homeland is so sweat place. Let's wish Syria become better and better situation.

[@s.m2153]

Since Bashar Al Assad in Syria more and more refuges will run away from Syria .

[@James-bn6lg]

I pray for peace in the Middle East

[@sparx180]

James Tell our country to stay out of other countries business.

[@Sun-Tzu-]

Barber: "send back the refugees, we're suffering!"

[@dormousecat3947]

Good news. It clearly shows that they wanted stability more than another conflict to happens.

[@VR-tw3ek]

Is there any way to work with you guys I will love to get internship with you in Syria

[@paragonofvirtue270]

People who take risk without fear are brave ,well, far braver are those who take risks despite their fear .

[@alphatango4447]

I just love the comment people are putting they are just calling the bullshit vice is trying to put in our mind way to guys more power to all ordinary people form all walks of life

[@nigar19831]

Millions of Syrians are refugees in Turkey and many of them not even planning to return in their homeland, Turkish people tired of them

[@deviouspirate1374]

Inspection Officer THEN TURKEY SHOULD STOP STEALING SYRIAN OIL. THE BRUTAL TURKISH ARMY STOP KILLING SYRIAN CIVILIANS.

[@alvinleong173]

There're people in the world who could afford kids but do not not want them and there're people in bad conditions who have many... our world is not rational.

[@ratoncitoperez6994]

30 millones para un país desértico no es sostenible 😬😔😬

[@muawiyahm5152]

LooooL they’re falling straight back into a trap of the dungeon

[@abinjo2756]

TNX FOR VICE TO SHOW US THE REAL REFUGEES

[@user-sh9uk2hx3d]

Most of us love our president (Assad) but even the Syrians that hate him would choose him over the FSA.

[@flacko426]

youre not syrian

[@koylaempire2135]

All Syrian refugee should return home and build their nation, its their nation not Assads , he's just in the seat for a period and later has to vacate seat for someone else to fill.....happy return home sweet home....

[@LeGrimReaper]

Why are Vice broadcasting dates so weird? It use to be Mon-Fri, then Mon-Thur, now Tues-Fri. What are you guys doing over there?

[@AkbarAli-ow3wt]

vice shame on you for the miss-leading title!! :(

[@UNbreakable711]

The world now in crisis in every corner. We want peace for all humans. May God give peace to all countries

[@czogg99]

When Lebanon was embroiled in civil strife and wars in 1980s , Syrians took them in and cared for. So the Lebanese have returned the favor. Maybe its time to go home. Rebuild and start over again. Syrians will rebuild and grow again.

[@lukeclarke7167]

Good journalism. This rather than the ‘lifestyle’ articles in vice uk please

[@jasmineali5699]

I wish them them the best

[@Gkr122]

So much suffering in the world and I'm in depression of think that I don't afford a car

[@berkekaancanacankatan6042]

SYRIAN ARAB REFUGEES PLEASE COME BACK YOUR DESERT PLEASE PROTECT YOUR HOMELAND.

[@brandondane137]

Worst humanitarian crisis in our history of living

[@entertainment1443]

They fleed from American bombings. Because they wanted to safe their children from F16s.. 😢😢

[@user-bo5zc3xz2g]

Tell US and EU 🇪🇺 and NATO to play humanity and stop this fighting nothing good come out of it please😢

[@ummunusaiba1736]

There are two fates for the military aged men returning to Assad's controlled syria, detention or they will be enlisted to fight the rebels as they are running out of man power to continue the fight against the rebels.

[@ArturKwaszyn]

“Aren’t you afraid? No, what am I supposed to be afraid of?” Syrian refugees are fleeing Assad 😂😂😂😂

[@MZRUSCKUTA]

Arab hating their fellow Arab that's why we don't choose Arab countries to live as Somalis 🇸🇴 when our country collapsed. I was wondering why can't they help us while they're so rich and wealthy now I know it.

[@Mumbaimerijaan978]

come to our house where nobody tell you, creating problem like some of western people behaved you and hated you it stroke to my heart and I cried😢 a lot but thanks some of the western who treated well with you and prayed for them You people have faced very difficulty Let's hope for peace

[@santopablo792]

Syria is a beautiful country before the war.

[@xwtek3505]

I'm skeptical that this will be going well instead of turning into refugee of its own country.

[@diegomarquez1299]

This damn war is effected many counrty and there is no winner of it ...Many people died

[@coppercassiecampbell6077]

Michael Ansara...a good Syrian

[@dyahannurrr]

Want to take part to help them have a better & decent living, good school.

[@dukesmart4646]

Syria al assad is victorious and there is nothing you can do about it

[@user-ii3kf4jw8x]

5:42 this is a wrong translation He said the he will make sujood(prostration) of gratitude to Allah

[@stevenbonde6712]

Please brother stop the war.

[@bloodred917]

Interesting journalism... So Jassem fled Assad's rule in 2012, but in the description you say "Jassem’s home in Homs is certainly no longer there, flattened by Russian airstrikes just days after he fled." How is that possible? I mean Russia started its airstrikes only september of 2015... Also, if Jassem's neighborhood was captured by jihadists (Vice'd call them rebels) then why he fled with his family that time, and not earlier if he had a problem with Assad's rule? I mean if there were airstrikes then probably it was captured by terrorists, so do the maths...

[@lostforever7057]

Tedious applications try to fill in a form for disability benefits in the UK

[@kevinbarr2910]

I guess there is no place like home...

[@ahlamsoliman52]

Assad thinks that Syria just belongs to him so agnorant and dictatorial

[@l.b.hamlongachi9430]

Title should be. "Run from Assad returned to Assad" Misleading titles spotted!

[@sethn8784]

We went to Syria for a stargate!

[@elementel2699]

👀

[@ariqkamil571]

every bad people do something,a good people must suffer that's why our enemy is not about country, religion etc but bad people it self

[@homemacai]

Dat haircut!

[@rahul90481]

In my opinion syriya as country they build whole country again . So all world should donate money 2 build there home .