Syrian immigration into Lebanon

12 years have passed since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011 marking the 12th year of Syrian immigration into Lebanon and into the world. Since then, Lebanon has plunged into several crises, the latest and biggest one being the economic crisis that sparked up in October 2019. With the immigrants undoubtedly playing a part in the crises, why is it a lot more than a refugee crisis with bad economic consequences and why is it a problem that urgently needs solving according to many Lebanese political actors?

For the last few years, with the increasingly growing number of Syrians in Lebanon, our sad reality is that for every 13 Lebanese exists 5 Syrian refugees making the Lebanese feel like guests in their own home. This is especially true in the Baalbek, Rashaya and Chouf regions where Syrians outnumber Lebanese, so it is no surprise that Lebanon currently holds the biggest number of immigrants per capita. This is not only a threat to National identity but the fact that most of the Lebanese youth is leaving the country makes it even worse as Syrians will not only outnumber Lebanese soon but Lebanese themselves will go extinct. It is also crucial to note that 54% of Syrian immigrants are below the age of 18 having spent the majority of their life outside their home country with many of them being stripped from their right to an identity and registration from their government making it an almost unsolvable problem if they ever wish to go back to their home country, add to that the current birthrate of Syrians which far exceeds the one of their Lebanese counterparts and the threat becomes soon a reality.

Out of 50 prisoners in Lebanon 21 are Syrians, making them 42% of the prison population overcrowding the already overcrowded prisons which is forcing the state to cut prison sentences short as a solution, while completely ignoring the huge number of criminals that will be freed and released back into society. The lack of border patrol necessary at the time as well as the mass influx of refugees meant that all of the newcomers were undocumented and unlicensed making crime and illegal activities way easier. When the former minister of Labor Camille Abousleiman ordered the execution of the previously unapplied code of labor concerning the Syrian workers which meant basic taxation and fees for Work Permits, many sides condemned the legal decision among them Lebanese ones which led to the decision being lifted when a new government was formed with Mr. Camille out of office. We must not forget that the Syrians also enjoy free infrastructural services such as water and electricity while the Lebanese have to pay for it even as they barely get anything in return, this effectively renders any economic recovery and infrastructural development plan impossible to achieve. Curfews have been imposed by certain municipalities to try and control the situation to good effect which led other municipalities to follow suit. This however quickly fell to heavy criticism by the UN human right watch which forced the curfews to stay at a local level in some areas and not a national one as if they are the ones hosting the refugees.

The 15-year full occupation of Lebanon by Syrian Army forces that recently ended in 2005 has certainly contributed to the social tensions already present, this is fully observed in May 2021 during the Syrian election period where an Assad supporting convoy was parading in areas where the Assad regime targeted, imprisoned and tortured many of the locals and ended up being confronted with violence. This is further observed in December 2020 where a dispute between Lebanese and Syrian youth led to the torching of the Syrian camp in the town of Bhanine northern Lebanon, violent clashes between Syrian workers and Lebanese also took place in the northern town of Bcharre a month prior, after the death of a Bcharre resident which led the latter to torch the homes of over 200 Syrian families. Although those events took place over 2 years ago, tensions are heavily rising once again after many reports showing Syrians stealing public infrastructure all over Lebanon went viral. While the Lebanese security forces have certainly done a very good job in fighting to stop those crimes, the scenario of clashes against the PLO just before the civil war certainly worries the nation as external pressure could stop the LAF from intervening. This seems even more likely just as a well-known figure in the Syrian opposition promises to strike back against Lebanon for what he calls as “Unjust actions” against Syrian and Palestinian camps while others attend protests in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for the Affairs of the Displaced Syrians in the Jnah area with heavy Lebanese military presence.

While it is undeniable that the problem the country is facing is very complex and deeply rooted within its structure, it is also certain that the refugees have long outstayed their welcome in the country with anti-Syrian sentiment spiking once again all over the nation. Today, we face the threat of losing our identity to foreigners whom we are forced to watch as they contribute to our worst crisis since the civil war while we face the threat of violence and insurgency if we act to protect our home. With national security being at stake, it is time that we take action and deport the immigrants either to their abandoned homeland or whatever country is capable of receiving them.