Since the start of Syria’s civil war in March 2011, over 1.2
million Syrians have sought refuge in Lebanon, where they now account for
almost one-third of the Lebanese population. Particularly since May, the
Lebanese government has increasingly introduced measures to limit the influx of
Syrian refugees into the country. Before May this year, Syrians could usually
enter Lebanon as “tourists” and obtain a residency visa for six months
(renewable every six months for up to three years), although this process cost
200 dollars a year, which already was financially prohibitive for many refugee
families. Under new regulations Syrians are only permitted to enter Lebanon in
exceptional or humanitarian cases such as for medical reasons, or if the
applicant has an onward flight booked out of the country, an appointment at an
embassy, a valid work permit, or is deemed a “wealthy” tourist.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Oct. 23, Information
Minister Ramzi Jreij announced that the government had reached a decision “to
stop welcoming displaced persons, barring exceptional cases, and to ask the
U.N. refugee agency to stop registering the displaced.” Lebanon is not a
signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and, as a result, is not obliged to
meet all obligations resulting from the Convention. Being registered with UNHCR
in Lebanon can provide some legal protection and is important for access to
services. But it does not grant refugees the right to seek asylum, have legal
stay or refugee status.
Current legal restrictions affect the admission of
newcomers, renewal of residency visas and the regularisation of visa
applications for those who have entered the country through unofficial border
crossings. Fear of being arrested often forces those without legal residency
papers to limit their movements and also their ability to access various
services, to obtain a lease contract or find employment is severely limited. It
could also impede birth registration for refugees -with the consequent risk of
statelessness, or force family separations on the border. Accompanying the
increasing fear of deportation from Lebanon, Syrian refugees have also been
forced to deal with routine forms of discrimination. Over 45 municipalities
across Lebanon have imposed curfews restricting the movement of Syrians during
night-time hours, measures which, according to Human Rights Watch’s Middle East
Director Nadim Houry, contravene “international human rights law and appear to
be illegal under Lebanese law.”
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