Lebanese state initiates roadmap to address Syrian refugee crisis: Mechanism unveiled

Report by Petra Abou Haydar, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The Lebanese state has consistently linked resolving the Syrian refugee crisis to obtaining data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to develop a plan for organizing their presence or facilitating their return to their homeland.

On December 5, 2023, the General Security received the data, representing only the number of refugees in Lebanon, which is 1,486,000 refugees without including additional details.

Therefore, the state, particularly the Ministry of Interior and the General Security, has initiated a roadmap to directly regulate the legal status of refugees and a mechanism for their return.

The mechanism aims to categorize refugees between those who hold the status of "refugee," that is, those who came to Lebanon before 2015 and are protected by the international humanitarian law designated for displaced persons, and those who arrived after 2015 after the Lebanese state closed its borders and issued a decision to stop registering those coming from Syria under the status of refugee, but under a separate category.

The latter group falls under Lebanese law, without international legal protection. They must obtain residency or work permits and fulfill all their obligations, such as taxes and others.

This roadmap will be implemented in collaboration with municipalities and some associations to gather information about all refugees. The initiative will start in the northern Matn district as a pilot phase and will later extend to all districts.

Thus, the state is attempting to find a solution to this crisis, away from politics, narrow interests, and, most importantly, far from the racism that some apply to this issue.