Syrians in Lebanon: Difference between revisions

Syrians in Lebanon
السوريون في لبنان
Total population
	1,011,366 registered (December 2016); 929,624 registered (July 2019) 774,697 (June 2024)
Regions with significant populations
	Beirut (Greater Beirut), Tripoli, Sidon, Baalbek
Languages
	Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish, Syriac
Religion
	Islam and Christianity

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 15:16, 23 November 2024

Syrians in Lebanon (Arabic: السوريون في لبنان) refers to the Syrian migrant workers and, more recently, to the Syrian refugees who fled to Lebanon during the Syrian Civil War. The relationship between Lebanon and Syria includes Maronite-requested aid^[4] during Lebanon's Civil War which led to a 29-year occupation of Lebanon by Syria ending in 2005.^[5] Following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, refugees began entering Lebanon in 2011.^[6]

From the years of 2011–2016, there was an influx of over 1.5 million refugees from Syria to the neighboring country of Lebanon. Attempting to aid this number of people on top of Palestinian and Iraqi refugees from the past, created further economic and politic destruction for the country. Economically, Lebanon was overspending on the 1.5 million people who arrived since 2011. Politically, the Lebanese felt the need to choose a side in the Syrian war. In hopes to eliminate these issues, in 2016 the Lebanese government who has never had border laws created a border law banning people from entering the country without proper documentation (Gonzalez). In June 2024, a UNHCR census reported that 774,697 Syrians were residing in Lebanon. Following Israel's bombardment of Lebanon in October, the Lebanese government estimated that over 400,000 people, the vast majority being Syrian, crossed from Lebanon into Syria.

Lebanon's response towards the influx of refugees has been criticized as negative, with the Lebanese government leaving them undocumented and limited^[7] and attacks on Syrian refugees by Lebanese citizens which go unaddressed by authorities.^[8] Despite the strained relationship between the Syrians and Lebanese,^[5] taking into consideration only Syrian refugees, Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the world, with one refugee per four nationals.^[9] The power dynamic and position of Syria and Lebanon changed drastically in such a short amount of time, it is inevitable that sentiments and prejudices prevailed despite progressions and changes in circumstance.^[10] In 2024, Lebanese leaders discussed Syrian migrant issues, considering repatriation and limiting numbers due to the escalating crisis.^[11]

Background

While both Lebanon and Syria were under Ottoman rule until 1918,^[12] what was then known as Mount Lebanon became home to Maronite Christian and Druze minorities who immigrated from all over the region, including modern day Syria.^[13] These religious differences, as well as the relative isolation due to the mountainous terrain, accompanied with the fact that Mount Lebanon maintained a self-governing status in the Ottoman Empire, were some of the main factors that led to the division of the two countries under the French Mandate from 1923, following a period of uncertainty in the region.^[13]

After both Lebanon and Syria gained independence from the French in the 1940s, they maintained their own autonomy (although Syria did not officially recognize Lebanon's independence until 2008^[14]) until 1976 when Syria occupied Lebanon as part of the Arab Deterrent Force under the premise of resolving the dispute of the Lebanese civil war.^[4] Although Taif Accord was signed in 1989, putting an official end to the civil war, Syrian forces remained in Lebanon. Syria's role in Lebanon changed over the years of the civil war from an intervention to an occupation.^[5] After the Taif Accord was signed, Syrian forces remained in Lebanon under the justification of Israel's failure to withdraw, as per the accord.^[15] AN estimated 35,000 (by the year 2000) Syrian troops remained in Lebanon.^[16] The Syrian occupation of Lebanon lasted until 2005.^[17] During the Syrian occupation, the government under Hafez al-Assad, extending to Bashar al-Assad after 2000, the Syrian government carried out infringements of human rights, including the detention of Lebanese citizens in Syrian-occupied Lebanon without trial and torturing them without rights for legal council.^[18]^[19] In light of those who went missing during, what the Human Rights Watch described as, a "terror campaign" of censorship and fear inflicted on the Lebanese citizens,^[20] a negative sentiment to develop within the Lebanese population against Syria.^[21]

Following the end of the Syrian occupation, many Syrians have immigrated to Lebanon in search of work and better living standards. Movement between the two countries was relatively easy as an ID card was enough to cross the border.^[22]

As a result of the civil war in Syria commencing in 2011 between the government of President Bashar al‑Assad and rebel groups, refugees began entering Lebanon in large numbers, and quickly.^[23] This sudden influx of refugees has resulted in the overpopulation of existing camps and cities as well a drain on resources.^[24] This sudden and urgent circumstance led to tension between Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees.^[21] The Lebanese government did not make an attempt to account for these refugees; it instead blocked aid to them in a passive dissent to their immigration.^[24] Border crossing restrictions were issued for Syrians crossing into Lebanon, which only led to the movement of asylum seekers shifting to illegal smuggling.^[22]

Statistics

According to the UNHCR, there were over one million Syrian refugees who had been registered in Lebanon in 2016.^[1] Nevertheless, this figure is likely largely underestimated since the UNHCR has stopped registering new Syrian refugees since May 2015, and it doesn't include individuals awaiting registration.^[1] Hence, precise figures of the number of Syrian people in Lebanon don't exist currently. Recent estimates were as high as 1,500,000 people.^[23]

As of 30 June 2024, the official distribution of registered refugees is as follows:^[9]

UNHCR Official Population Distribution
Location	Population	% of total Population
Bekaa	292,348	37.7%
North Lebanon	219,556	28.3%
Beirut	175,815	22.7%
South Lebanon	86,978	11.2%

Of the registered refugees, 53.1% are under the age of 18.^[9]

Along with Syrians, the influx of refugees due to the conflict includes 35,000 Lebanese returnees and 31,502 Palestinian refugees from Syria.^[25]

Given the estimated population of Lebanon at 5.9 million, the 1.5 million Syrian refugees make Lebanon the country with the highest number of refugees per capita – with one refugee for every four nationals.^[26] Syrian refugee statistics documented by the UNHCR were ordered to cease in 2015 by the Lebanese government, the reason behind this is uncertain.^[27]

Most Syrian refugees rent apartments, partly due to the absence of formal refugee camps. More than 80% of them rent accommodation in 1700 locations countrywide at an average price of $200 a month. The rest of them – whose percentage keeps increasing due to the deepening vulnerability – had to settle in unfinished buildings, garages, abandoned sheds, work sites and tents in informal settlements.^[28]

Chronology of the registration of Syrian refugees post 2011

The exact number of refugees is difficult to pin down, but national politicians have used the refugee question for electoral purposes, in particular in the context of the campaign for the general elections scheduled in 2018.

January 2014 – Prime Minister Najib Mikati declare that 900,000 “conflict refugees” came to Lebanon, “approaching a quarter of the population.”^[29]
April 2014 – UNHCR states that Syrian refugees in Lebanon have passed the 1-million mark.^[30]
May 2015 – UNHCR stops the registration of new refugees and asylum seekers. The peak number of 1.2 million then decreased to 1 million by 2017, as a share of officially registered refugees were resettled, departed or died.^[31]
September 2015 – ⁣Gebran Bassil, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon, referred to refugees as a burden, arguing that the one-million figure doesn’t account for all concerned: "it's 1.5 [million Syrians] plus 500,000 Palestinians so 45–50% of the population."^[32]
October 2017: Esther Pinzari, UNHCR protection officer, explained Syrian refugees total 1 million in Lebanon. The Lebanese government, in the meantime, puts the number over 1.5 million, claiming that even that number is an understatement.^[33]
October 2024: According to Lebanese government statistics, more than 400,000 people - a vast majority of them Syrian - had crossed from Lebanon into Syria to escape escalating Israeli bombardment.^[34] On October 25th, UNHCR released a report stating, a total of approximately 440,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 71 percent are Syrians and 29 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals.^[35]
November 2024: On November 2nd, UNHCR released their daily report stating, a total of approximately 473,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 71 percent are Syrians and 29 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals.^[36]
November 2024: On November 9th, UNHCR released their daily report stating, a total of approximately 528,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 70 percent are Syrians and 30 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals.^[37]
November 2024: On November 20th, UNHCR released their daily report stating, a total of approximately 557,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 70 percent are Syrians and 30 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals.^[38]

Naturalization and Syrians

Excessive restrictions were placed on Lebanese citizenship due to the importance of the country's demographic balance in its political operations.^[24] However, Armenian and Assyrian refugees came to Lebanon in 1915 from present-day southeastern Turkey, following the Armenian and Assyrian genocide.^[39] And when Lebanon was formed after Ottoman rule subsided, these Armenians and Assyrians were given citizenship to Lebanon.^[40] Also, under the Syrian-occupied Lebanon in 1994, the government naturalized over 154,931 foreign residents, of Palestinian (mostly Palestinian Christians) and Syrian (mostly Syrian Sunnis and Christians) descent.^[41] The purpose of these naturalization was to sway the elections to a pro-Syrian government.^[42] This allegation is based on how these new citizens were bused in to vote and displayed higher voting rates than the nationals did.^[41]

On June 1, 2018, the notoriously anti-naturalization Lebanese president, Michel Aoun^[43] signed a naturalization decree granting citizenship to a reported 300 individuals. These individuals come for various backgrounds and religions, however all of them are in one way wealthy and have ties to Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad.^[42]

Ethnic groups

Although the majority of Syrians in Lebanon are Arabs (including Palestinians residing in Syria), there exists various ethnic and religious minorities, namely Syrian Armenians, Syrian Turkmen and Syrian Kurds.^[44]

Palestinians

This group consists of descendants of the Palestinian refugees who reached Syria after the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight, and then moved from Syria to Lebanon because of the Syrian civil war that started in 2011. The Palestinians refugees from Syria have been met with favor from existing palestinian communities in Lebanon.^[45] In January 2015, more Palestinians refugees were recorded to be in Syria than in Lebanon, including the already existing refugees preceding 2011,^[46] although in light of the European Migrant Crisis, the numbers have allegedly dropped with many fleeing to Europe and a few to Lebanon.^[47]

Turkmen

In October 2015, the Syrian independent newspaper Zaman Al Wasl reported that 125,000 to 150,000 Syrian Turkmen refugees arrived in Lebanon, now outnumbering the Turkish minority of Lebanon.^[48]^[49] Many of them settled in the small village of Kaweishra known for its Turkish identity.^[50] The Turkish government has previously sent out food aid specifically for Turkmen refugees in Lebanon.^[51]

In 2018 the number of Syrian Turkmen in Lebanon had increased to approximately 200,000.^[52]

Kurds

Following the unification of Syria and Egypt in 1958 which resulted in strong Arab nationalism, oppressive measures were taken against Kurds in Syria.^[53] This led to a wave of Syrian Kurds resettling into Lebanon.^[54] More recently, due to the influx of refugees from the Syrian civil war, a large number of Kurds sought asylum in Lebanon where there was already a significant and well-integrated Kurdish population, despite being underrepresented.^[55] Estimates vary on the exact number of Kurdish asylum seekers due to the fact that they are legally registered no differently than Arab Syrians, though some sources estimate the number to be as high as 500,000, almost half of all documented Syrian refugees.^[56]

Armenians

Due to the strong support of Armenian institutions and communities in Lebanon, Syrian Armenians have had a relatively smooth integration in Lebanese society.^[57] This includes the fact that almost all Syrian-Armenian children are able to study for free in Armenian schools in Lebanon and have an integrated and parliament-represented foundation to rely on.^[58] Most sources estimate the number of the displaced population at around 10,000 people.^[59]

Difficulties

Immigration policies

The Lebanese government has historically maintained an open-door policy towards Syrian refugees despite the absence of formal obligation.^[6] The UNHCR states that the Lebanese government has never signed the 1951 Refugee Convention which secures a refugee who belongs "to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion."^[60] Therefore, there exists no international laws which Lebanon must abide by in dealing with the refugees. Adhering to the convention would mean that Lebanon was obligated to provide asylum to refugees and grant refugees the right to access courts, elementary education, and travel documents. Moreover, the refugees are entitles to receive the same public services and treatment in the labor market that Lebanese citizens do.^[24] Therefore, when faced with a large quantity of Syrian refugees entering Lebanon, the government had the ability to carry out its goals, which were to return those refugees back to Syria and discourage permanent residence.^[7]

Although Syrian refugees began entering Lebanon in 2011, it was not until 2014 that the government began introducing policies regarding Syrian refugee immigration.^[7] During the three year open-border policy, an estimated 1.5 million Syrians fled to Lebanon without defined policy or legal framework, leaving many of them with limited options .^[61] It is arguable that the establishment of policies regarding Syrians immigrating to Lebanon in 2014 was directly aimed at reducing the number of Syrians migrating to Lebanon, and driving them to return to Syria due to the difficult circumstances.^[7] In 2018 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese President Michel Aoun united with the intention "to accelerate [Syrian Refugees] return home".^[62]

Hostility and prejudice

The 29-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon created negative sentiment in the Lebanese people towards Syrians.^[5] According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Syrian armed forces detained, without trial, thousands of Lebanese citizens, many of whom not only remained arrested, but were transported to Syrian prisons in violation of international law.^[20] Coupled with the kidnapping and assassination of critics to the Syrian regime, what HRW described as a terror campaign, resulted in the Lebanese press censoring any sentiments against Syrian policies in Lebanon.^[63] In July 1991 forty supporters of Michel Aoun were arrested in Kesrouan for handing out leaflets that criticized President Hrawi, another fifty-eight were arrested after holding demonstrations in Ashqout to name a few instances. The families of the detained reported that as well as denying legal council and family visitation rights, Syrian forces tortured those imprisoned.^[20] This mistreatment of citizens by the Syrian forces only ended as recently as 2005, allowing almost 6 years only before a forced integration of Syrians equivalent to one fourth of the population.^[16] The resentment towards Syria is disputed amongst political parties, often debating whether diplomatic and commercial relations between Lebanon and Syria should even be considered.^[62]

Negative sentiment from the Lebanese public is not limited to the negative history. In June 2016 a series of deadly suicide bombings occurred in al-Qaa saw causing 5 deaths.^[64] This was responded to with raids of refugee camps resulting in 100 arrests, after-which only three people were persecuted, two of which were Syrians with links to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). This was a factor leading up to the implementation of curfews in refugee camps.^[65] The response to these attacks was negativity to Syrian refugees despite the fact that public deceleration that those charged with the bombing were not refugees.^[64] In July of the same year, at least 200 people gathered in Beirut to march against racism towards Syrian refugees. From the ministry of foreign affairs to the interior ministry under the banner "all against racism" demonstrators were met by negative comments by Lebanese citizens due to them supporting Syrian refugees.^[64] The willingness to believe that the Syrian refugees bring

There is also a fear of a spillover of the Syrian Civil war into Lebanon which makes citizens unwilling to act as hosts. As early as 2012, the religious fractions that drove the civil war in Syria began to spark assault rifle shootings in open roads and demonstrations including burning tires against the governments willingness to appease Damascus.^[66]

The precedent of refugees in Lebanon are the Palestinians. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was a significant presence in Lebanon and operated in Palestinian refugee camps.^[67] From 1968 onward, they carried out military operations against Israel, who would retaliate by conducting raids against Lebanese villages, bringing chaos and destruction to Lebanon. In 1970, following their expulsion from Jordan, the PLO's presence in Lebanon increased and the control they had over parts of the country became more significant. Clashes with the Lebanese army and Christian militias occurred,^{[citation needed]} leading to the involvement of other Lebanese parties and foreign powers that supported the Palestinians, ultimately escalating into the civil war that Syria used to occupy Lebanon.^[68] In light of the events, it is not unreasonable for citizens and politicians to be weary of what refugees bring with them, providing a camp could lead to an outcome such as that of Palestinian camps, which are still not under Lebanese jurisdiction to this day.^[69]

Despite the reasoning and rationality for any prejudice, the outcome has been alleged and documented mistreatment of Syrian refugees by authorities, through unwarranted arrest, and civilians.^[70]

Refugees in Lebanon

Refugees in Lebanon

Fleeing to Lebanon in 1948 following the Arab-Israel War and having nowhere to return to till present day,^[71] as of January 2015, there were 452,669 registered Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.^[72] 2010 saw a sudden migration of Palestinian Refugees to Europe from Lebanon, contributing to the European migrant crisis.^[46] Palestinian refugees fleeing from Lebanon to European countries has been argued to be a consequence of the migration of Syrian refugees in such large bulk reducing the standard of life and overshadowing them in funding.^[73] Palestinian refugees were not welcomed easily, the 1951 Refugee convention was not signed, at least in part, to avoid responsibility of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and for Lebanon to maintain the autonomy to decide the actions the government wishes to take regarding displaced persons.^[24]

Armenian and Assyrian refugees came to Lebanon in 1915 from present-day southeastern Turkey, following the Armenian and Assyrian genocide.^[39] At the time, Mount Lebanon was a Mutasarrifate within the Ottoman Empire that held a unique self-governing status. The Armenian and Assyrian refugees found it as a safe haven given its semi-autonomous state and because of the religious beliefs that they shared with the majority. When Lebanon was formed after Ottoman rule subsided, these Armenians and Assyrians were given citizenship to Lebanon, they are represented in the parliament and have integrated into society in Lebanon.^[40]

Syrian refugees in Lebanon

As the numbers of Syrians in Lebanon have grown, so have tensions; the attitude towards reception of Syrians in Lebanon quickly became opposed to. The influx of Syrians into Lebanon has resulted in economic, political, social and religious tensions in Lebanon.^[74] Curfews have been put into place in some cities and villages to ensure public safety following attacks on police and members of the military by religious Syrian extremist groups^{[citation needed]}. Many Lebanese citizens fear that there is a possibility of Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon, especially after Syrian Sunni Muslim extremist groups executed of Lebanese soldiers in August 2014 as part of the Battle of Arsal.

In the 2017 Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) Lebanon makes clear the rights it maintains in light of the influx of Syrian 'refugees',^[75]

The UN characterizes the flight of civilians from Syria as a refugee movement, and considers that these Syrians are seeking international protection and are likely to meet the refugee definition. The Government of Lebanon considers that it is being subject to a situation of mass influx. It refers to individuals who fled from Syria into its territory after March 2011 as temporarily displaced individuals, and reserves its sovereign right to determine their status according to Lebanese laws and regulations.
— Government of Lebanon, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017–2020 [EN/AR]

Lebanon maintains its position as not being a state for refugees^[74] despite the Palestinian and Armenians residing in the country as displaced individuals. Syrians seeking shelter have been met with a "no camp" policy from the government which lead them to rent cheap land and even rooms in previously existing Palestinian refugee camps.^[45]

Resolution

Returning to Syria

With Bashar al-Assad regaining support and control, refugees have begun returning to Syria, both individually and with the aid of Damascus.^[76] Lebanon urges refugees to return to Syria, claiming that they are unable to accommodate 25% of its population in refugees. The UNHCR advises against the return of Syrian refugees under the circumstances in Syria,^[27] this was responded to by a freeze on residency applications for UNHCR staff^[77] This approach has led to the argument that Lebanon is beginning to 'force' refugees back to Syria despite the potential danger of doing so.^[27]

In 2024, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated that "most" Syrians should be repatriated to safe zones within Syria. The Interior Minister, Bassam Mawlawi, urged for a cap on the number of Syrians in the country, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib stated that the "crisis of Syrian migrants has spiralled out of control".^[11]

Aid

The Lebanese government and NGO's provide assistance to the displaced refugees. Medair, a Swiss NGO, provides aid to Syrian refugees in Lebanon through various means. Housing is supported through distribution of shelter kits and improvements of living conditions for the refugees who have found a place to stay; healthcare, mapping, and hygiene also fall under the contributions of Medair to refugees in Lebanon.^[78] Caritas Lebanon is another NGO that aids refugees under the Catholic Church.^[79] Providing resources in the form of settlements to over 100 families of Syrian refugees in Lebanon; Caritas navigated the Lebanese governments not permitting formal refugee camps by providing materials that could be added to existing structures to create shelter for the refugees.^[80]

Amidst the economic crisis in Lebanon, the European Union faced a surge of refugees entering from Lebanon mainly towards Cyprus. In response, the EU provide €1 billion to the Lebanese government in 2024 for over three years to help prevent a surge of refugees leaving Lebanon into Europe. This sparked outrage among Lebanese as it prompts Syrians to permanently settle in Lebanon. The head of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, his party will “continue exerting all efforts until the last illegal migrant leaves Lebanon”.^[81]

Notable People

Charles Debbas, the first president of Lebanon; his family originated in Damascus
Tammam Salam, former acting president of Lebanon; his mother hails from Damascus
Henri Pharaoun, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon; he designed the Lebanese flag
Abdallah El-Yafi, former prime minister of Lebanon; his mother was from Damascus
Joseph Safra, billionaire banker; he belonged to the Safra family which traces its roots to Aleppo
David Nahmad, billionaire former art dealer whose family originally came from Aleppo
Ghassan Tueni, founder of An-Nahar newspaper
Selim Mouzannar, jeweler
Hubert Fattal, businessman
Joe Raad, singer
Elissa, famous singer, her mother is Syrian

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "UNHCR Syria Regional Refugee Response/ Lebanon". UNHCR. 30 Jun 2019. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
^ "Middle East :: Lebanon". The World Factbook (CIA.gov). 2019-08-21. Archived from the original on 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
^ "Lebanon - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #1, Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 (April 3, 2024) - Lebanon | ReliefWeb". data.unhcr.org. 2024-04-03. Archived from the original on 2024-09-28. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
^ ^a ^b "MIDDLE EAST: Syria and Lebanon". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d eliefares (2011-11-15). "Lebanon's Syrian Occupation – A Persistent Matter That Should Never Be Forgotten". A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b admin (2014-01-10). "Official response to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, the disastrous policy of no-policy". Civil Society Knowledge Centre. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "The fate of Syrian refugees in Lebanon". Executive Magazine. 2018-09-14. Archived from the original on 2018-09-17. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Lebanon: Rising Violence Targets Syrian Refugees". Human Rights Watch. 2014-09-30. Archived from the original on 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Situation Syria Regional Refugee Response". data2.unhcr.org. Archived from the original on 2019-06-11. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ "Lebanese Victims of Torture: Remembering Palmyra – Qantara.de". Qantara.de – Dialogue with the Islamic World. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b Bower, Edmund (2024-05-08). "'If they see a Syrian, they beat them up': the refugees living in fear in Lebanon". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
^ "History of Lebanon, Ottomans- French- Independence 1516–1943". www.lgic.org. Archived from the original on 2017-09-09. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b L., Cleveland, William (2009). A history of the modern Middle East. Bunton, Martin P. (4th ed.). Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press. ISBN 978-0-8133-4374-7. OCLC 191926614.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Black, Ian; editor, Middle East (2008-10-14). "Syria and Lebanon to establish diplomatic relations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-12-17. {{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
^ "AUB: The Lebanese Civil War and the Taif Agreement". ddc.aub.edu.lb. Archived from the original on 2018-10-15. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b "Lebanon Calls for End of Syrian Occupation". ABC News. 2006-01-06. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ Edgar., O'Ballance (1998). Civil war in Lebanon, 1975–92. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-21593-4. OCLC 38910100.
^ "SYRIA Caught in a regional conflict: Lebanese, Palestinian and Jordanian political detainees in Syria" (PDF). www.amnesty.org. 27 January 1999. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "SYRIA Torture by the security forces" (PDF). www.amnesty.org. October 1987. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c "MEW2". www.hrw.org. Archived from the original on 2017-03-12. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b Chit, Bassem; Nayel, Mohammad Ali (October 2013). "Understanding racism against Syrian refugees in Lebanon". Civil Society Knowledge Centre. 1 (1). doi:10.28943/cskc.002.10001.
^ ^a ^b "Visa requirements for Syrians: Lebanon continues to destabilize". Heinrich Böll Stiftung Middle East. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ ^a ^b Marco Funk and Roderick Parkes (2016). "Syrian refugee flows – and ebbs" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Hägerdal, Nils. "Lebanon's Hostility to Syrian Refugees" (PDF). www.brandeis.edu. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Document – Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) 2017–2020 – full version". data2.unhcr.org. Archived from the original on 2018-12-30. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ "Refugee population by country or territory of asylum". World Bank. Archived from the original on 2010-04-25. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ ^a ^b ^c Elbadawi, Hanan (6 July 2018). "Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Potential Forced Return?". Atlantic Council. Archived from the original on 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Humanity, hope and thoughts of home: Syrian refugees in southern Lebanon". UNHCR. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ Mikati, Najib (21 January 2014). "Lebanon PM: My country cannot cope with the Syrian refugee crisis". www.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
^ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for (3 April 2014). "Syrian refugees in Lebanon surpass one million". UNHCR. Archived from the original on 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
^ "Lebanon is revising its policies towards the Syrian refugee crisis, but are the new measures in its real interest?". Middle East Centre. 2015-05-19. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
^ "Lebanese foreign minister: We cannot be the only ones receiving refugees - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
^ "Don't blame Syrian refugees for your problems, Lebanon told". Arab News. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
^ "Hundreds of thousands of Syrians flee Lebanon – into the path of more bombs". Telegraph. 2024-10-11. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
^ "HUNHCR Syria Flash Update #18: Response to Displacement from Lebanon to Syria (Reporting period: 24 September - 25 October 2024)". ReliefWeb. 2024-10-25. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
^ "UNHCR Syria Short Brief: Response to Displacement from Lebanon to Syria - Reporting period: 24 September - 2 November 2024". ReliefWeb. 2024-11-03. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
^ "Regional Overview of Displacement". ReliefWeb. 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2024-11-11. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
^ "UNHCR Syria Emergency Response Brief". ReliefWeb. 2024-11-20. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
^ ^a ^b "How the Armenians came to live among Arabs | Human Rights | Al Jazeera". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b "100 years of waiting: Lebanon, a century after the Armenian Genocide – International news – Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b Sensenig-Dabbous, Eugene; Hourani, Guita (2011-07-04). "Naturalized Citizens: Political Participation, Voting Behavior, and Impact on Elections in Lebanon (1996–2007)". Rochester, NY. SSRN 2211536. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ ^a ^b "Is Syria Meddling in Lebanon Again?". The Century Foundation. 2018-06-28. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Naturalization decree an insult to the Lebanese people". Arab News. 2018-06-05. Archived from the original on 2018-07-12. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ Wahby, Sarah; Ahmadzadeh, Hashem; Çorabatır, Metin; Hashem, Leen; Al Husseini, Jalal (2014), Ensuring quality education for you refugees from Syria (12-25 year): a mapping exercise, Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford, archived from the original on 2018-04-25, retrieved 2018-09-11
^ ^a ^b Suber, Roshan De Stone and David (7 November 2018). "Syrian displacement: A Palestinian perspective". alaraby. Archived from the original on 2019-06-03. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b "Palestinian refugees number 175,000. Census reveals 45 percent live in camps". BusinessNews.com.lb. Archived from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "100,000 Palestinians have fled Syria to Europe, official says – Middle East – Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ Ahmed, Yusra (2015), Syrian Turkmen refugees face double suffering in Lebanon, Zaman Al Wasl, archived from the original on 23 August 2017, retrieved 11 October 2016
^ Syrian Observer (2015). "Syria's Turkmen Refugees Face Cruel Reality in Lebanon". Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
^ "Syrian Turkmen flee to Lebanon's Turkish village". www.worldbulletin.net (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ "Turkey extends aid to Turkmen refugees in Lebanon". DailySabah. 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ "Suriye Türkmenlerinin sorunlarına ilişkin gündem dışı konuşması". Grand National Assembly of Turkey. 2018. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2020. Yaklaşık olarak 200 bin Türkmen'in Lübnan'da yaşadığı tahmin edilmektedir.
^ McDowall, David (1998). The Kurds of Syria. Kurdish Human Rights Project.
^ Meho, Ibrahim Lokman; W. Kawtharani, Farah. "The Kurdish community in Lebanon". The International Journal of Kurdish Studies.
^ "ما هو العائق الذي يعترض الأكراد في لبنان؟". An-Nahar. 2016-03-21. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ "Syrian Kurds Feel Unwelcome in Lebanon". Rudaw. Archived from the original on 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ "Between Anticipation and Misery: The Syrian-Armenian Refugees of Lebanon". The Armenite. 2015-01-13. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ "Syrian-Armenians in Lebanon tend to return to Syria". armenpress.am. Archived from the original on 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ "Around 10,000 Syrian Armenians moved to Armenia and 8,000 to Lebanon – Shahan Ka". news.am. Archived from the original on 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
^ Saliba, Issam (March 2016). "Refugee Law and Policy: Lebanon". www.loc.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Politics and the Plight of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon" (PDF). aub.edu.lb. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b AsiaNews.it. "Assad and Aoun discuss ways and means for the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon". www.asianews.it. Archived from the original on 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Syrian Occupation of Lebanon, Help Lebanon". www.lgic.org. Archived from the original on 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Lebanon: Beirut protesters decry racism toward Syrians | News | Al Jazeera". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Syrians in Lebanon hit by arrests, curfews and hostility after..." Reuters. 2016-07-25. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Syria's Crisis Reaches Beirut". www.washingtoninstitute.org. Archived from the original on 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ Hudson, Michael C. (1978). "The Palestinian Factor in the Lebanese Civil War". Middle East Journal. 32 (3): 261–278. JSTOR 4325767.
^ "Palestine Liberation Organization | Palestinian political organization". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Opinion | A miracle in the Middle East". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Hostility grows towards Syrian refugees in Lebanon". Reuters. 2017-08-28. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Lebanon: Exiled and suffering: Palestinian refugees in Lebanon | Amnesty International". 2013-12-11. Archived from the original on 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "UNRWA in Figures 2015" (PDF). www.unrwa.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "THE NEGLECTED PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN LEBANON AND THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS" (PDF). pure.diis.dk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-02-19. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ ^a ^b Cherri, Zeinab; Arcos González, Pedro; Castro Delgado, Rafael (2016-07-14). "The Lebanese–Syrian crisis: impact of influx of Syrian refugees to an already weak state". Risk Management and Healthcare Policy. 9: 165–172. doi:10.2147/RMHP.S106068. ISSN 1179-1594. PMC 4948691. PMID 27471417.
^ "Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017–2020 [EN/AR] – Lebanon". ReliefWeb. Archived from the original on 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Fifty thousand Syrians returned to Syria from Lebanon this year:..." Reuters. 2018-09-25. Archived from the original on 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Lebanon freezes residency applications for UNHCR staff". France 24. 2018-06-08. Archived from the original on 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Lebanon". Medair. Archived from the original on 2019-05-27. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Who_we_are". Caritas Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2018-06-18. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "Sheltering Syrian refugees in Lebanon | Caritas". www.caritas.org.nz. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
^ "The Netherlands Supports Lebanon with €140 Million". english.aawsat.com. Retrieved 2024-05-07.

Arcos González, Pedro, Zeinab Cherri, and Rafael Castro Delgado. 2016. "The Lebanese-Syrian Crisis: Impact Of Influx Of Syrian Refugees To An Already Weak State". Risk Management And Healthcare Policy Volume 9: 165–172. Dove Medical Press Ltd. doi:10.2147/rmhp.s106068.

"2014 UNHCR country operations profile- Lebanon." UNHCR. UNHCR, Web, 11 November 2014.
Goodspeed, Peter. "Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon continues to build." The Star. The Star, 26 November 2014. Web.
"Lebanon: At least 45 Local Curfews Imposed on Syrian Refugees." Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, 10 October 2014. Web. 19 November 2014.
"Lebanon: Rising Violence Targets Syrian Refugees." Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, 30 December 2014. Web. 10 November 2014.
"Lebanon: Rising Violence Targets Syrian Refugees." Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, 30 December 2014. Web. 10 November 2014.
Pan, Ester. "MIDDLE EAST: Syria and Lebanon." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 18 February 2014. Web. !2 November 2014.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS "Lebanon to Bar Syrian Refugees." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 October 2014. Web. 19 November 2014.

[UNHCR-Lebanon-1] "UNHCR Syria Regional Refugee Response/ Lebanon". UNHCR. 30 Jun 2019. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2019.

[2] "Middle East :: Lebanon". The World Factbook (CIA.gov). 2019-08-21. Archived from the original on 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2019-08-27.

[3] "Lebanon - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #1, Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 (April 3, 2024) - Lebanon | ReliefWeb". data.unhcr.org. 2024-04-03. Archived from the original on 2024-09-28. Retrieved 2024-09-28.

[MIDDLE_EAST:_Syria_and_Lebanon-4] "MIDDLE EAST: Syria and Lebanon". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:5-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d eliefares (2011-11-15). "Lebanon's Syrian Occupation – A Persistent Matter That Should Never Be Forgotten". A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:16-6] (2014-01-10). "Official response to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, the disastrous policy of no-policy". Civil Society Knowledge Centre. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:6-7] "The fate of Syrian refugees in Lebanon". Executive Magazine. 2018-09-14. Archived from the original on 2018-09-17. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[8] "Lebanon: Rising Violence Targets Syrian Refugees". Human Rights Watch. 2014-09-30. Archived from the original on 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:4-9] "Situation Syria Regional Refugee Response". data2.unhcr.org. Archived from the original on 2019-06-11. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[10] "Lebanese Victims of Torture: Remembering Palmyra – Qantara.de". Qantara.de – Dialogue with the Islamic World. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:19-11] Bower, Edmund (2024-05-08). "'If they see a Syrian, they beat them up': the refugees living in fear in Lebanon". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-09.

[12] "History of Lebanon, Ottomans- French- Independence 1516–1943". www.lgic.org. Archived from the original on 2017-09-09. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:0-13] L., Cleveland, William (2009). A history of the modern Middle East. Bunton, Martin P. (4th ed.). Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press. ISBN 978-0-8133-4374-7. OCLC 191926614.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[14] Black, Ian; editor, Middle East (2008-10-14). "Syria and Lebanon to establish diplomatic relations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2018-06-24. Retrieved 2018-12-17. {{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)

[15] "AUB: The Lebanese Civil War and the Taif Agreement". ddc.aub.edu.lb. Archived from the original on 2018-10-15. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:17-16] "Lebanon Calls for End of Syrian Occupation". ABC News. 2006-01-06. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[17] Edgar., O'Ballance (1998). Civil war in Lebanon, 1975–92. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-21593-4. OCLC 38910100.

[18] "SYRIA Caught in a regional conflict: Lebanese, Palestinian and Jordanian political detainees in Syria" (PDF). www.amnesty.org. 27 January 1999. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[19] "SYRIA Torture by the security forces" (PDF). www.amnesty.org. October 1987. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:15-20] "MEW2". www.hrw.org. Archived from the original on 2017-03-12. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:1-21] Chit, Bassem; Nayel, Mohammad Ali (October 2013). "Understanding racism against Syrian refugees in Lebanon". Civil Society Knowledge Centre. 1 (1). doi:10.28943/cskc.002.10001.

[:2-22] "Visa requirements for Syrians: Lebanon continues to destabilize". Heinrich Böll Stiftung Middle East. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[:3-23] Marco Funk and Roderick Parkes (2016). "Syrian refugee flows – and ebbs" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.

[:11-24] Hägerdal, Nils. "Lebanon's Hostility to Syrian Refugees" (PDF). www.brandeis.edu. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[25] "Document – Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) 2017–2020 – full version". data2.unhcr.org. Archived from the original on 2018-12-30. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[26] "Refugee population by country or territory of asylum". World Bank. Archived from the original on 2010-04-25. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[:7-27] Elbadawi, Hanan (6 July 2018). "Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Potential Forced Return?". Atlantic Council. Archived from the original on 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[28] Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Humanity, hope and thoughts of home: Syrian refugees in southern Lebanon". UNHCR. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[29] Mikati, Najib (21 January 2014). "Lebanon PM: My country cannot cope with the Syrian refugee crisis". www.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.

[30] Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for (3 April 2014). "Syrian refugees in Lebanon surpass one million". UNHCR. Archived from the original on 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2021-11-23.

[31] "Lebanon is revising its policies towards the Syrian refugee crisis, but are the new measures in its real interest?". Middle East Centre. 2015-05-19. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.

[32] "Lebanese foreign minister: We cannot be the only ones receiving refugees - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. Retrieved 2021-11-23.

[33] "Don't blame Syrian refugees for your problems, Lebanon told". Arab News. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.

[34] "Hundreds of thousands of Syrians flee Lebanon – into the path of more bombs". Telegraph. 2024-10-11. Retrieved 2024-10-11.

[35] "HUNHCR Syria Flash Update #18: Response to Displacement from Lebanon to Syria (Reporting period: 24 September - 25 October 2024)". ReliefWeb. 2024-10-25. Retrieved 2024-10-28.

[36] "UNHCR Syria Short Brief: Response to Displacement from Lebanon to Syria - Reporting period: 24 September - 2 November 2024". ReliefWeb. 2024-11-03. Retrieved 2024-11-03.

[37] "Regional Overview of Displacement". ReliefWeb. 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2024-11-11. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)

[38] "UNHCR Syria Emergency Response Brief". ReliefWeb. 2024-11-20. Retrieved 2024-11-20.

[aljazeera.com-39] "How the Armenians came to live among Arabs | Human Rights | Al Jazeera". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[jpost.com-40] "100 years of waiting: Lebanon, a century after the Armenian Genocide – International news – Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:12-41] Sensenig-Dabbous, Eugene; Hourani, Guita (2011-07-04). "Naturalized Citizens: Political Participation, Voting Behavior, and Impact on Elections in Lebanon (1996–2007)". Rochester, NY. SSRN 2211536. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[tcf.org-42] "Is Syria Meddling in Lebanon Again?". The Century Foundation. 2018-06-28. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[43] "Naturalization decree an insult to the Lebanese people". Arab News. 2018-06-05. Archived from the original on 2018-07-12. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[Wahbyetal2014-44] Wahby, Sarah; Ahmadzadeh, Hashem; Çorabatır, Metin; Hashem, Leen; Al Husseini, Jalal (2014), Ensuring quality education for you refugees from Syria (12-25 year): a mapping exercise, Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford, archived from the original on 2018-04-25, retrieved 2018-09-11

[:13-45] Suber, Roshan De Stone and David (7 November 2018). "Syrian displacement: A Palestinian perspective". alaraby. Archived from the original on 2019-06-03. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:14-46] "Palestinian refugees number 175,000. Census reveals 45 percent live in camps". BusinessNews.com.lb. Archived from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[47] "100,000 Palestinians have fled Syria to Europe, official says – Middle East – Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[48] Ahmed, Yusra (2015), Syrian Turkmen refugees face double suffering in Lebanon, Zaman Al Wasl, archived from the original on 23 August 2017, retrieved 11 October 2016

[49] Syrian Observer (2015). "Syria's Turkmen Refugees Face Cruel Reality in Lebanon". Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.

[50] "Syrian Turkmen flee to Lebanon's Turkish village". www.worldbulletin.net (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[51] "Turkey extends aid to Turkmen refugees in Lebanon". DailySabah. 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[tbmm-52] "Suriye Türkmenlerinin sorunlarına ilişkin gündem dışı konuşması". Grand National Assembly of Turkey. 2018. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2020. Yaklaşık olarak 200 bin Türkmen'in Lübnan'da yaşadığı tahmin edilmektedir.

[53] McDowall, David (1998). The Kurds of Syria. Kurdish Human Rights Project.

[54] Meho, Ibrahim Lokman; W. Kawtharani, Farah. "The Kurdish community in Lebanon". The International Journal of Kurdish Studies.

[55] "ما هو العائق الذي يعترض الأكراد في لبنان؟". An-Nahar. 2016-03-21. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[56] "Syrian Kurds Feel Unwelcome in Lebanon". Rudaw. Archived from the original on 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[57] "Between Anticipation and Misery: The Syrian-Armenian Refugees of Lebanon". The Armenite. 2015-01-13. Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[58] "Syrian-Armenians in Lebanon tend to return to Syria". armenpress.am. Archived from the original on 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[59] "Around 10,000 Syrian Armenians moved to Armenia and 8,000 to Lebanon – Shahan Ka". news.am. Archived from the original on 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2018-12-17.

[60] Saliba, Issam (March 2016). "Refugee Law and Policy: Lebanon". www.loc.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:9-61] "Politics and the Plight of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon" (PDF). aub.edu.lb. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:18-62] AsiaNews.it. "Assad and Aoun discuss ways and means for the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon". www.asianews.it. Archived from the original on 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[63] "Syrian Occupation of Lebanon, Help Lebanon". www.lgic.org. Archived from the original on 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:8-64] "Lebanon: Beirut protesters decry racism toward Syrians | News | Al Jazeera". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[65] "Syrians in Lebanon hit by arrests, curfews and hostility after..." Reuters. 2016-07-25. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[66] "Syria's Crisis Reaches Beirut". www.washingtoninstitute.org. Archived from the original on 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[67] Hudson, Michael C. (1978). "The Palestinian Factor in the Lebanese Civil War". Middle East Journal. 32 (3): 261–278. JSTOR 4325767.

[68] "Palestine Liberation Organization | Palestinian political organization". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2015-06-17. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[69] "Opinion | A miracle in the Middle East". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[70] "Hostility grows towards Syrian refugees in Lebanon". Reuters. 2017-08-28. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[71] "Lebanon: Exiled and suffering: Palestinian refugees in Lebanon | Amnesty International". 2013-12-11. Archived from the original on 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[72] "UNRWA in Figures 2015" (PDF). www.unrwa.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[73] "THE NEGLECTED PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN LEBANON AND THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS" (PDF). pure.diis.dk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-02-19. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[:10-74] Cherri, Zeinab; Arcos González, Pedro; Castro Delgado, Rafael (2016-07-14). "The Lebanese–Syrian crisis: impact of influx of Syrian refugees to an already weak state". Risk Management and Healthcare Policy. 9: 165–172. doi:10.2147/RMHP.S106068. ISSN 1179-1594. PMC 4948691. PMID 27471417.

[75] "Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017–2020 [EN/AR] – Lebanon". ReliefWeb. Archived from the original on 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[76] "Fifty thousand Syrians returned to Syria from Lebanon this year:..." Reuters. 2018-09-25. Archived from the original on 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[77] "Lebanon freezes residency applications for UNHCR staff". France 24. 2018-06-08. Archived from the original on 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[78] "Lebanon". Medair. Archived from the original on 2019-05-27. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[79] "Who_we_are". Caritas Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2018-06-18. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[80] "Sheltering Syrian refugees in Lebanon | Caritas". www.caritas.org.nz. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-19.

[81] "The Netherlands Supports Lebanon with €140 Million". english.aawsat.com. Retrieved 2024-05-07.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]

[47]

[48]

[49]

[50]

[51]

[52]

[53]

[54]

[55]

[56]

[57]

[58]

[59]

[60]

[61]

[62]

[63]

[64]

[65]

[66]

[67]

[68]

[69]

[70]

[71]

[72]

[73]

[74]

[75]

[76]

[77]

[78]

[79]

[80]

[81]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|none}}
 {{Infobox ethnic group
 | group            = Syrians in Lebanon <br> السوريون في لبنان
 | image            =
 | caption          =
-| population       = 1,196,560 estimated <small>(April 2015)</small><ref name="UNHCR-Lebanon">{{cite web|url=http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=122|title=UNHCR Syria Regional Refugee Response/ Lebanon|date=30 Jun 2019|work=[[UNHCR]]|access-date=18 July 2019}}</ref>
+| population       = 1,011,366 registered <small>(December 2016)</small><ref name="UNHCR-Lebanon">{{cite web|url=http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=122|title=UNHCR Syria Regional Refugee Response/ Lebanon|date=30 Jun 2019|work=[[UNHCR]]|access-date=18 July 2019|archive-date=22 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922071434/http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=122|url-status=dead}}</ref><br>
+,624 registered <small>(July 2019)</small><ref>{{cite web | title=Middle East :: Lebanon | website=The World Factbook (CIA.gov) | date=2019-08-21 | url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lebanon/ | access-date=2019-08-27 | archive-date=2021-09-23 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923184200/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lebanon/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="UNHCR-Lebanon" />
-,011,366 registered <small>(December 2016)</small><ref name="UNHCR-Lebanon" /><br>
+,697  <small>(June 2024)</small><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-03 |title=Lebanon - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #1, Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 (April 3, 2024) - Lebanon {{!}} ReliefWeb |url=https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria/location/71 |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=data.unhcr.org |language=en |archive-date=2024-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240928015145/https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria/location/71 |url-status=live }}</ref>
-,624 registered <small>(July 2019)</small><ref>{{cite web | title=Middle East :: Lebanon  | website=The World Factbook (CIA.gov) | date=2019-08-21 | url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lebanon/ | access-date=2019-08-27}}</ref><ref name="UNHCR-Lebanon" />
-.5 - 2.5 million <small>(2023 Lebanese estimate)</small>
 | regions          = [[Beirut]] ([[Greater Beirut]]), [[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]], [[Sidon]], [[Baalbek]]
-| languages        = [[Arabic]], [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]]
+| languages        = [[Arabic]], [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]],
+[[Syriac language|Syriac]]
 | religions        = [[Islam]] and [[Christianity]]
 | native_name      =
@@ Line 14: / Line 15: @@
 | related_groups   =
 }}
-'''Syrians in Lebanon''' ({{lang-ar|السوريون في لبنان}}) refers to the Syrian migrant workers and, more recently, to the [[Refugees of the Syrian Civil War|Syrian refugees]] who fled to Lebanon during the [[Syrian Civil War]]. The relationship between Lebanon and Syria includes [[Lebanese Maronite Christians|Maronite]]-requested aid<ref name="MIDDLE EAST: Syria and Lebanon">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/middle-east-syria-and-lebanon|title=MIDDLE EAST: Syria and Lebanon|website=Council on Foreign Relations|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> during [[Lebanese Civil War|Lebanon's Civil War]] which led to a 29-year [[Syrian occupation of Lebanon|occupation of Lebanon by Syria]] ending in 2005.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://stateofmind13.com/2011/11/16/lebanons-syrian-occupation-a-persistent-matter-that-should-never-be-forgotten/|title=Lebanon's Syrian Occupation – A Persistent Matter That Should Never Be Forgotten|last=eliefares|date=2011-11-15|website=A Separate State of Mind {{!}} A Blog by Elie Fares|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>
+'''Syrians in Lebanon''' ({{langx|ar|السوريون في لبنان}}) refers to the Syrian migrant workers and, more recently, to the [[Refugees of the Syrian civil war in Lebanon|Syrian refugees]] who fled to [[Lebanon]] during the [[Syrian Civil War]]. The relationship between Lebanon and Syria includes [[Lebanese Maronite Christians|Maronite]]-requested aid<ref name="MIDDLE EAST: Syria and Lebanon">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/middle-east-syria-and-lebanon|title=MIDDLE EAST: Syria and Lebanon|website=Council on Foreign Relations|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327183754/https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/middle-east-syria-and-lebanon|url-status=live}}</ref> during [[Lebanese Civil War|Lebanon's Civil War]] which led to a 29-year [[Syrian occupation of Lebanon|occupation of Lebanon by Syria]] ending in 2005.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://stateofmind13.com/2011/11/16/lebanons-syrian-occupation-a-persistent-matter-that-should-never-be-forgotten/|title=Lebanon's Syrian Occupation – A Persistent Matter That Should Never Be Forgotten|last=eliefares|date=2011-11-15|website=A Separate State of Mind {{!}} A Blog by Elie Fares|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327172450/https://stateofmind13.com/2011/11/16/lebanons-syrian-occupation-a-persistent-matter-that-should-never-be-forgotten/|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the outbreak of the [[Syrian Civil War]], refugees began entering Lebanon in 2011.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web|url=https://civilsociety-centre.org/paper/official-response-syrian-refugee-crisis-lebanon-disastrous-policy-no-policy|title=Official response to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, the disastrous policy of no-policy|last=admin|date=2014-01-10|website=Civil Society Knowledge Centre|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327183831/https://civilsociety-centre.org/paper/official-response-syrian-refugee-crisis-lebanon-disastrous-policy-no-policy|url-status=live}}</ref>
+From the years of 2011–2016, there was an influx of over 1.5 million refugees from Syria to the neighboring country of Lebanon. Attempting to aid this number of people on top of Palestinian and Iraqi refugees from the past, created further economic and politic destruction for the country. Economically, Lebanon was overspending on the 1.5 million people who arrived since 2011. Politically, the Lebanese felt the need to choose a side in the Syrian war. In hopes to eliminate these issues, in 2016 the Lebanese government who has never had border laws created a border law banning people from entering the country without proper documentation (Gonzalez). In June 2024, a UNHCR census reported that 774,697 Syrians were residing in Lebanon. Following Israel's bombardment of Lebanon in October, the Lebanese government estimated that over 400,000 people, the vast majority being Syrian, crossed from Lebanon into Syria.
-Since 2011, following the outbreak of the [[Syrian civil war]], Lebanon has hosted a significant number of Syrian refugees.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web|url=https://civilsociety-centre.org/paper/official-response-syrian-refugee-crisis-lebanon-disastrous-policy-no-policy|title=Official response to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, the disastrous policy of no-policy|last=admin|date=2014-01-10|website=Civil Society Knowledge Centre|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref><ref name=":19">{{Cite news |title=Lebanon’s government is squeezing out Syrian refugees |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/05/04/lebanons-government-is-squeezing-out-syrian-refugees |access-date=2024-01-22 |work=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref> Estimates of their numbers vary, with official figures around 1.5 million, but actual numbers possibly closer to 2 million. <ref name=":19" />
-Lebanon's response towards the influx of refugees has been criticized as negative, with the Lebanese government leaving them undocumented and limited<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=2018-09-14 |title=The fate of Syrian refugees in Lebanon |url=http://www.executive-magazine.com/economics-policy/the-fate-of-syrian-refugees-in-lebanon |access-date=2018-12-19 |website=Executive Magazine}}</ref> and attacks on Syrian refugees by Lebanese citizens which go unaddressed by authorities.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-09-30 |title=Lebanon: Rising Violence Targets Syrian Refugees |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/09/30/lebanon-rising-violence-targets-syrian-refugees |access-date=2018-12-19 |website=Human Rights Watch}}</ref> The Lebanese government has not established formal camps for Syrian refugees, leading to their widespread distribution across various areas of the state, often in informal settlements.<ref name=":19" /> Despite the strained relationship between the Syrians and Lebanese,<ref name=":5" /> taking into consideration only Syrian refugees, Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the world, with one refugee per four nationals.<ref name=":4" /> The power dynamic and position of Syria and Lebanon changed drastically in such a short amount of time, it is inevitable that sentiments and prejudices prevailed despite progressions and changes in circumstance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.qantara.de/content/lebanese-victims-of-torture-remembering-palmyra|title=Lebanese Victims of Torture: Remembering Palmyra – Qantara.de|website=Qantara.de – Dialogue with the Islamic World|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>
+Lebanon's response towards the influx of refugees has been criticized as negative, with the Lebanese government leaving them undocumented and limited<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=http://www.executive-magazine.com/economics-policy/the-fate-of-syrian-refugees-in-lebanon|title=The fate of Syrian refugees in Lebanon|date=2018-09-14|website=Executive Magazine|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2018-09-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917083544/http://www.executive-magazine.com/economics-policy/the-fate-of-syrian-refugees-in-lebanon|url-status=live}}</ref> and attacks on Syrian refugees by Lebanese citizens which go unaddressed by authorities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/09/30/lebanon-rising-violence-targets-syrian-refugees|title=Lebanon: Rising Violence Targets Syrian Refugees|date=2014-09-30|website=Human Rights Watch|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-05-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528165953/https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/09/30/lebanon-rising-violence-targets-syrian-refugees|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite the strained relationship between the Syrians and Lebanese,<ref name=":5" /> taking into consideration only Syrian refugees, Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the world, with one refugee per four nationals.<ref name=":4" /> The power dynamic and position of Syria and Lebanon changed drastically in such a short amount of time, it is inevitable that sentiments and prejudices prevailed despite progressions and changes in circumstance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.qantara.de/content/lebanese-victims-of-torture-remembering-palmyra|title=Lebanese Victims of Torture: Remembering Palmyra – Qantara.de|website=Qantara.de – Dialogue with the Islamic World|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-03-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327172845/https://en.qantara.de/content/lebanese-victims-of-torture-remembering-palmyra|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2024, Lebanese leaders discussed Syrian migrant issues, considering repatriation and limiting numbers due to the escalating crisis.<ref name=":19" />
 == Background ==
-While both Lebanon and Syria were under [[Ottoman Syria|Ottoman rule]] until 1918,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lgic.org/en/history_lebanon1516.php|title=History of Lebanon, Ottomans- French- Independence 1516–1943|website=www.lgic.org|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>  what was then known as [[Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate|Mount Lebanon]] became home to Maronite Christian and [[Druze]] minorities who immigrated from all over the region, including modern day Syria.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=A history of the modern Middle East|last=L.|first=Cleveland, William|date=2009|publisher=Westview Press|others=Bunton, Martin P.|isbn=978-0-8133-4374-7|edition= 4th|location=Boulder, Colo.|oclc=191926614}}</ref> These religious differences, as well as the relative isolation due to the mountainous terrain, accompanied with the fact that Mount Lebanon maintained a self-governing status in the Ottoman Empire, were some of the main factors that led to the division of the two countries under the [[French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon|French Mandate]] from 1923, following a period of uncertainty in the region.<ref name=":0" />
+While both Lebanon and Syria were under [[Ottoman Syria|Ottoman rule]] until 1918,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lgic.org/en/history_lebanon1516.php|title=History of Lebanon, Ottomans- French- Independence 1516–1943|website=www.lgic.org|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2017-09-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909034023/http://www.lgic.org/en/history_lebanon1516.php|url-status=live}}</ref>  what was then known as [[Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate|Mount Lebanon]] became home to Maronite Christian and [[Druze]] minorities who immigrated from all over the region, including modern day Syria.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=A history of the modern Middle East|last=L.|first=Cleveland, William|date=2009|publisher=Westview Press|others=Bunton, Martin P.|isbn=978-0-8133-4374-7|edition= 4th|location=Boulder, Colo.|oclc=191926614}}</ref> These religious differences, as well as the relative isolation due to the mountainous terrain, accompanied with the fact that Mount Lebanon maintained a self-governing status in the Ottoman Empire, were some of the main factors that led to the division of the two countries under the [[French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon|French Mandate]] from 1923, following a period of uncertainty in the region.<ref name=":0" />
 [[File:Cedar Revolution Demonstrators.jpg|left|thumb|Demonstrations in Lebanon (2005) after the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February pressuring Syria to leave Lebanon.]]
-After both Lebanon and Syria gained independence from the French in the 1940s, they maintained their own autonomy (although Syria did not officially recognize Lebanon's independence until 2008<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/oct/14/syria-lebanon|title=Syria and Lebanon to establish diplomatic relations|last1=Black |first1=Ian|date=2008-10-14|work=The Guardian|access-date=2018-12-17|last2=editor|first2=Middle East|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>) until 1976 when [[Syrian occupation of Lebanon|Syria occupied Lebanon]] as part of the [[Arab Deterrent Force]] under the premise of resolving the dispute of the Lebanese civil war.<ref name="MIDDLE EAST: Syria and Lebanon"/> Although [[Taif Agreement|Taif Accord]] was signed in 1989, putting an official end to the civil war, Syrian forces remained in Lebanon. Syria's role in Lebanon changed over the years of the civil war from an intervention to an [[Syrian occupation of Lebanon|occupation]].<ref name=":5" /> After the Taif Accord was signed, Syrian forces remained in Lebanon under the justification of Israel's failure to withdraw, as per the accord.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/pspa/conflict-resolution.html|title=AUB: The Lebanese Civil War and the Taif Agreement|website=ddc.aub.edu.lb|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>  AN estimated 35,000 (by the year 2000) Syrian troops remained in Lebanon.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=82323&page=1 |title=Lebanon Calls for End of Syrian Occupation |date=2006-01-06|website=ABC News|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> The Syrian occupation of Lebanon lasted until 2005.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Civil war in Lebanon, 1975–92|last=Edgar.|first=O'Ballance|date=1998|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-0-312-21593-4|oclc=38910100}}</ref> During the Syrian occupation, the government under [[Hafez al-Assad]], extending to [[Bashar al-Assad]] after 2000, the Syrian government carried out infringements of human rights, including the detention of Lebanese citizens in Syrian-occupied Lebanon without trial and torturing them without rights for legal council.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/148000/mde240011999en.pdf|website=www.amnesty.org|access-date=2018-12-19|title=SYRIA Caught in a regional conflict: Lebanese, Palestinian and Jordanian political detainees in Syria|date=27 January 1999 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/200000/mde240091987en.pdf |website=www.amnesty.org |title=SYRIA Torture by the security forces |date=October 1987 |access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> In light of those who went missing during, what the [[Human Rights Watch]] described as, a "terror campaign" of censorship and fear inflicted on the Lebanese citizens,<ref name=":15" /> a negative sentiment to develop within the Lebanese population against Syria.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Chit|first1=Bassem|last2=Nayel|first2=Mohammad Ali|date=October 2013|title=Understanding racism against Syrian refugees in Lebanon|journal=Civil Society Knowledge Centre|volume=1|issue=1|doi=10.28943/cskc.002.10001|doi-access=free}}</ref>
+After both Lebanon and Syria gained independence from the French in the 1940s, they maintained their own autonomy (although Syria did not officially recognize Lebanon's independence until 2008<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/oct/14/syria-lebanon|title=Syria and Lebanon to establish diplomatic relations|last1=Black|first1=Ian|date=2008-10-14|work=The Guardian|access-date=2018-12-17|last2=editor|first2=Middle East|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=2018-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624175541/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/oct/14/syria-lebanon|url-status=live}}</ref>) until 1976 when [[Syrian occupation of Lebanon|Syria occupied Lebanon]] as part of the [[Arab Deterrent Force]] under the premise of resolving the dispute of the Lebanese civil war.<ref name="MIDDLE EAST: Syria and Lebanon"/> Although [[Taif Agreement|Taif Accord]] was signed in 1989, putting an official end to the civil war, Syrian forces remained in Lebanon. Syria's role in Lebanon changed over the years of the civil war from an intervention to an [[Syrian occupation of Lebanon|occupation]].<ref name=":5" /> After the Taif Accord was signed, Syrian forces remained in Lebanon under the justification of Israel's failure to withdraw, as per the accord.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/pspa/conflict-resolution.html|title=AUB: The Lebanese Civil War and the Taif Agreement|website=ddc.aub.edu.lb|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2018-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015080935/http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/pspa/conflict-resolution.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  AN estimated 35,000 (by the year 2000) Syrian troops remained in Lebanon.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=82323&page=1|title=Lebanon Calls for End of Syrian Occupation|date=2006-01-06|website=ABC News|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404172456/https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=82323&page=1|url-status=live}}</ref> The Syrian occupation of Lebanon lasted until 2005.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Civil war in Lebanon, 1975–92|last=Edgar.|first=O'Ballance|date=1998|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-0-312-21593-4|oclc=38910100}}</ref> During the Syrian occupation, the government under [[Hafez al-Assad]], extending to [[Bashar al-Assad]] after 2000, the Syrian government carried out infringements of human rights, including the detention of Lebanese citizens in Syrian-occupied Lebanon without trial and torturing them without rights for legal council.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/148000/mde240011999en.pdf|website=www.amnesty.org|access-date=2018-12-19|title=SYRIA Caught in a regional conflict: Lebanese, Palestinian and Jordanian political detainees in Syria|date=27 January 1999|archive-date=2017-03-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313195445/https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/148000/mde240011999en.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/200000/mde240091987en.pdf |website=www.amnesty.org |title=SYRIA Torture by the security forces |date=October 1987 |access-date=2018-12-19 |archive-date=2017-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223051547/https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/200000/mde240091987en.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In light of those who went missing during, what the [[Human Rights Watch]] described as, a "terror campaign" of censorship and fear inflicted on the Lebanese citizens,<ref name=":15" /> a negative sentiment to develop within the Lebanese population against Syria.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Chit|first1=Bassem|last2=Nayel|first2=Mohammad Ali|date=October 2013|title=Understanding racism against Syrian refugees in Lebanon|journal=Civil Society Knowledge Centre|volume=1|issue=1|doi=10.28943/cskc.002.10001|doi-access=free}}</ref>
-Following the end of the Syrian occupation, many Syrians have immigrated to Lebanon in search of work and better living standards. Movement between the two countries was relatively easy as an ID card was enough to cross the border.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://lb.boell.org/en/2015/05/05/visa-requirements-syrians-lebanon-continues-destabilize|title=Visa requirements for Syrians: Lebanon continues to destabilize|website=Heinrich Böll Stiftung Middle East|access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref>
+Following the end of the Syrian occupation, many Syrians have immigrated to Lebanon in search of work and better living standards. Movement between the two countries was relatively easy as an ID card was enough to cross the border.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://lb.boell.org/en/2015/05/05/visa-requirements-syrians-lebanon-continues-destabilize|title=Visa requirements for Syrians: Lebanon continues to destabilize|website=Heinrich Böll Stiftung Middle East|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2019-04-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403210828/https://lb.boell.org/en/2015/05/05/visa-requirements-syrians-lebanon-continues-destabilize|url-status=live}}</ref>
 As a result of the [[Syrian Civil War|civil war in Syria]] commencing in 2011 between the government of [[Bashar al-Assad|President Bashar al‑Assad]] and rebel groups, refugees began entering Lebanon in large numbers, and quickly.<ref name=":3" /> This sudden influx of refugees has resulted in the overpopulation of existing camps and cities as well a drain on resources.<ref name=":11" /> This sudden and urgent circumstance led to tension between Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees.<ref name=":1" /> The Lebanese government did not make an attempt to account for these refugees; it instead blocked aid to them in a passive dissent to their immigration.<ref name=":11" /> Border crossing restrictions were issued for Syrians crossing into Lebanon, which only led to the movement of asylum seekers shifting to illegal smuggling.<ref name=":2" />
@@ Line 33: / Line 34: @@
 According to the UNHCR, there were over one&nbsp;million Syrian refugees who had been registered in Lebanon in 2016.<ref name="UNHCR-Lebanon" /> Nevertheless, this figure is likely largely underestimated since the UNHCR has stopped registering new Syrian refugees since May 2015, and it doesn't include individuals awaiting registration.<ref name="UNHCR-Lebanon" /> Hence, precise figures of the number of Syrian people in Lebanon don't exist currently. Recent estimates were as high as 1,500,000 people.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|author=Marco Funk and Roderick Parkes|year=2016|title=Syrian refugee flows – and ebbs|url=http://www.iss.europa.eu/uploads/media/Alert_5_Refugee_flows.pdf|access-date=6 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307045309/http://www.iss.europa.eu/uploads/media/Alert_5_Refugee_flows.pdf|archive-date=7 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
-As of 30 November 2018, the official distribution of registered refugees is as follows:<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria/location/71|title=Situation Syria Regional Refugee Response|website=data2.unhcr.org|access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref>
+As of 30 June 2024, the official distribution of registered refugees is as follows:<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria/location/71|title=Situation Syria Regional Refugee Response|website=data2.unhcr.org|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2019-06-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611173822/https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria/location/71|url-status=live}}</ref>
 {| class="wikitable"
 |+UNHCR Official Population Distribution
@@ Line 41: / Line 42: @@
 |-
 |Bekaa
-|340,592
+|292,348
-|35.8%
+|37.7%
 |-
 |North Lebanon
-|247,802
+|219,556
-|26.1%
+|28.3%
 |-
 |Beirut
-|247,713
+|175,815
-|26.1%
+|22.7%
 |-
 |South Lebanon
-|114,227
+|86,978
-|12.0%
+|11.2%
 |}
-Of the registered refugees, 55.6% are under the age of 18.<ref name=":4" />
+Of the registered refugees, 53.1% are under the age of 18.<ref name=":4" />
-Along with Syrians, the influx of refugees due to the conflict includes 35,000 Lebanese returnees and 31,502 Palestinian refugees from Syria.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/53061|title=Document – Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) 2017–2020 – full version|website=data2.unhcr.org|access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref>
+Along with Syrians, the influx of refugees due to the conflict includes 35,000 Lebanese returnees and 31,502 Palestinian refugees from Syria.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/53061|title=Document – Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) 2017–2020 – full version|website=data2.unhcr.org|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2018-12-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230101444/https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/53061|url-status=live}}</ref>
-Given the estimated population of Lebanon at 5.9&nbsp;million, the 1.5&nbsp;million Syrian refugees make Lebanon the country with the highest number of refugees per capita – with one refugee for every four nationals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SM.POP.REFG|title=Refugee population by country or territory of asylum|website=World Bank}}</ref> Syrian refugee statistics documented by the UNHCR were ordered to cease in 2015 by the Lebanese government, the reason behind this is uncertain.<ref name=":7" />
+Given the estimated population of Lebanon at 5.9&nbsp;million, the 1.5&nbsp;million Syrian refugees make Lebanon the country with the highest number of refugees per capita – with one refugee for every four nationals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SM.POP.REFG|title=Refugee population by country or territory of asylum|website=World Bank|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2010-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425022847/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SM.POP.REFG|url-status=live}}</ref> Syrian refugee statistics documented by the UNHCR were ordered to cease in 2015 by the Lebanese government, the reason behind this is uncertain.<ref name=":7" />
-Most Syrian refugees rent apartments, partly due to the absence of formal refugee camps. More than 80% of them rent accommodation in 1700 locations countrywide at an average price of $200 a month. The rest of them – whose percentage keeps increasing due to the deepening vulnerability – had to settle in unfinished buildings, garages, abandoned sheds, work sites and tents in informal settlements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2015/2/54ede4b16/humanity-hope-thoughts-home-syrian-refugees-southern-lebanon.html|title=Humanity, hope and thoughts of home: Syrian refugees in southern Lebanon|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|website=UNHCR|access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref>
+Most Syrian refugees rent apartments, partly due to the absence of formal refugee camps. More than 80% of them rent accommodation in 1700 locations countrywide at an average price of $200 a month. The rest of them – whose percentage keeps increasing due to the deepening vulnerability – had to settle in unfinished buildings, garages, abandoned sheds, work sites and tents in informal settlements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2015/2/54ede4b16/humanity-hope-thoughts-home-syrian-refugees-southern-lebanon.html|title=Humanity, hope and thoughts of home: Syrian refugees in southern Lebanon|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|website=UNHCR|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2019-04-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403215928/https://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2015/2/54ede4b16/humanity-hope-thoughts-home-syrian-refugees-southern-lebanon.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
 === Chronology of the registration of Syrian refugees post 2011 ===
 The exact number of refugees is difficult to pin down, but national politicians have used the refugee question for electoral purposes, in particular in the context of the campaign for the general elections scheduled in 2018.
-* January 2014 – Prime Minister [[Najib Mikati]] declare that 900,000 “conflict refugees” came to Lebanon, “approaching a quarter of the population.”<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mikati|first=Najib|date=21 January 2014|title=Lebanon PM: My country cannot cope with the Syrian refugee crisis|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/lebanon/10587174/Lebanon-PM-My-country-cannot-cope-with-the-Syrian-refugee-crisis.html|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref>
+* January 2014 – Prime Minister [[Najib Mikati]] declare that 900,000 “conflict refugees” came to Lebanon, “approaching a quarter of the population.”<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mikati|first=Najib|date=21 January 2014|title=Lebanon PM: My country cannot cope with the Syrian refugee crisis|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/lebanon/10587174/Lebanon-PM-My-country-cannot-cope-with-the-Syrian-refugee-crisis.html|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.telegraph.co.uk|archive-date=2021-11-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123144542/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/lebanon/10587174/Lebanon-PM-My-country-cannot-cope-with-the-Syrian-refugee-crisis.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
-* April 2014 – UNHCR states that Syrian refugees in Lebanon have passed the 1-million mark.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|date=3 April 2014|title=Syrian refugees in Lebanon surpass one million|url=https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2014/4/533c15179/syrian-refugees-lebanon-surpass-million.html|access-date=2021-11-23|website=UNHCR|language=en}}</ref>
+* April 2014 – UNHCR states that Syrian refugees in Lebanon have passed the 1-million mark.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|date=3 April 2014|title=Syrian refugees in Lebanon surpass one million|url=https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2014/4/533c15179/syrian-refugees-lebanon-surpass-million.html|access-date=2021-11-23|website=UNHCR|language=en|archive-date=2021-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130130632/https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2014/4/533c15179/syrian-refugees-lebanon-surpass-million.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
-* May 2015 – UNHCR stops the registration of new refugees and asylum seekers. The peak number of 1.2&nbsp;million then decreased to 1&nbsp;million by 2017, as a share of officially registered refugees were resettled, departed or died.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-05-19|title=Lebanon is revising its policies towards the Syrian refugee crisis, but are the new measures in its real interest?|url=https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/2015/05/19/lebanon-is-revising-its-policies-towards-the-syrian-refugee-crisis-but-are-the-new-measures-in-its-real-interest/|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Middle East Centre}}</ref>
+* May 2015 – UNHCR stops the registration of new refugees and asylum seekers. The peak number of 1.2&nbsp;million then decreased to 1&nbsp;million by 2017, as a share of officially registered refugees were resettled, departed or died.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-05-19|title=Lebanon is revising its policies towards the Syrian refugee crisis, but are the new measures in its real interest?|url=https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/2015/05/19/lebanon-is-revising-its-policies-towards-the-syrian-refugee-crisis-but-are-the-new-measures-in-its-real-interest/|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Middle East Centre|archive-date=2021-11-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123144545/https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/2015/05/19/lebanon-is-revising-its-policies-towards-the-syrian-refugee-crisis-but-are-the-new-measures-in-its-real-interest/|url-status=live}}</ref>
 * September 2015 – ⁣[[Gebran Bassil]], Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon, referred to refugees as a burden, arguing that the one-million figure doesn’t account for all concerned: "it's 1.5 [million Syrians] plus 500,000 Palestinians so 45–50% of the population."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lebanese foreign minister: We cannot be the only ones receiving refugees - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East|url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2015/09/lebanon-foreign-minister-bassil-interview-syria-refugees.html|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.al-monitor.com|language=en}}</ref>
-* October 2017: Esther Pinzari, UNHCR protection officer, explained Syrian refugees total 1&nbsp;million in Lebanon. The Lebanese government, in the meantime, puts the number over 1.5&nbsp;million, claiming that even that number is an understatement.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Don't blame Syrian refugees for your problems, Lebanon told|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1176311/%7B%7B|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Arab News|language=en}}</ref>
+* October 2017: Esther Pinzari, UNHCR protection officer, explained Syrian refugees total 1&nbsp;million in Lebanon. The Lebanese government, in the meantime, puts the number over 1.5&nbsp;million, claiming that even that number is an understatement.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Don't blame Syrian refugees for your problems, Lebanon told|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1176311/%7B%7B|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Arab News|language=en|archive-date=2021-11-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123144543/https://www.arabnews.com/node/1176311/%7B%7B|url-status=live}}</ref>
+* October 2024: According to Lebanese government statistics, more than 400,000 people - a vast majority of them Syrian - had crossed from Lebanon into Syria to escape escalating Israeli bombardment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/10/syrians-flee-lebanon-into-path-more-bombs// |title=Hundreds of thousands of Syrians flee Lebanon – into the path of more bombs |publisher=Telegraph |date=2024-10-11 |access-date=2024-10-11}}</ref> On October 25th, UNHCR released a report stating, a total of approximately 440,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 71 percent are Syrians and 29 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/unhcr-syria-flash-update-18-response-displacement-lebanon-syria-reporting-period-24-september-25-october-2024/ |title=HUNHCR Syria Flash Update #18: Response to Displacement from Lebanon to Syria (Reporting period: 24 September - 25 October 2024) |publisher=ReliefWeb|date=2024-10-25 |access-date=2024-10-28}}</ref>
-* November 2017: Major General Abbas Ibrahim, the head of General Security, states that the total number of refugees exceeds 2.5&nbsp;million, including all nationalities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-11-02|title=Ibrahim says more than 2.5 million refugees in Lebanon|url=https://www.dailystar.com.lb//News/Lebanon-News/2017/Nov-02/424839-ibrahim-says-more-than-25-million-refugees-in-lebanon.ashx|access-date=2021-11-23|website=The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon}}</ref>
+* November 2024: On November 2nd, UNHCR released their daily report stating, a total of approximately 473,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 71 percent are Syrians and 29 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/unhcr-syria-short-brief-response-displacement-lebanon-syria-reporting-period-24-september-2-november-2024/ |title=UNHCR Syria Short Brief: Response to Displacement from Lebanon to Syria - Reporting period: 24 September - 2 November 2024 |publisher=ReliefWeb|date=2024-11-03 |access-date=2024-11-03}}</ref>
+* November 2024: On November 9th, UNHCR released their daily report stating, a total of approximately 528,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 70 percent are Syrians and 30 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://Users/georg/Downloads/Middle%20east%20Situation%20CORE%2012Nov2024.pdf/ |title=Regional Overview of Displacement |publisher=ReliefWeb|date=2024-11-09|access-date=2024-11-11}}</ref>
+* November 2024: On November 20th, UNHCR released their daily report stating, a total of approximately 557,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 70 percent are Syrians and 30 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/unhcr-syria-emergency-response-brief-21-november-2024 |title=UNHCR Syria Emergency Response Brief |publisher=ReliefWeb|date=2024-11-20|access-date=2024-11-20}}</ref>
 === Naturalization and Syrians ===
-Excessive restrictions were placed on [[Lebanese nationality law|Lebanese citizenship]] due to the importance of the countries demographic in running political operations.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |url=https://www.brandeis.edu/crown/publications/meb/MEB116.pdf|website=www.brandeis.edu |title=Lebanon's Hostility to Syrian Refugees|last=Hägerdal |first=Nils|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> However, [[Armenians in Lebanon|Armenian]] and [[Assyrians in Lebanon|Assyrian]] refugees came to Lebanon in 1915 from present-day [[Southeastern Anatolia Region|southeastern]] [[Turkey]], following the [[Armenian genocide|Armenian and Assyrian]] [[genocide]].<ref name="aljazeera.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/04/armenians-arabs-turkey-genocide-150425052603372.html|title=How the Armenians came to live among Arabs {{!}} Human Rights {{!}} Al Jazeera|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> And when Lebanon was formed after Ottoman rule subsided, these Armenians and Assyrians were given citizenship to Lebanon.<ref name="jpost.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/International/100-years-of-waiting-Lebanon-a-century-after-the-Armenian-Genocide-399124|title=100 years of waiting: Lebanon, a century after the Armenian Genocide – International news – Jerusalem Post|website=www.jpost.com|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> Also, under the [[Syrian occupation of Lebanon|Syrian-occupied Lebanon]] in 1994, the government naturalized over 154,931 foreign residents, of [[Palestinians in Lebanon|Palestinian]] (mostly [[Palestinian Christians]]) and Syrian (mostly [[Sunni Islam in Syria|Syrian Sunnis]] and [[Christianity in Syria|Christians]]) descent.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|last1=Sensenig-Dabbous|first1=Eugene |last2=Hourani |first2=Guita|date=2011-07-04|title=Naturalized Citizens: Political Participation, Voting Behavior, and Impact on Elections in Lebanon (1996–2007) |location=Rochester, NY|ssrn=2211536 }}</ref> The purpose of these naturalization was to sway the elections to a pro-Syrian government.<ref name="tcf.org">{{Cite web|url=https://tcf.org/content/commentary/syria-meddling-lebanon/|title=Is Syria Meddling in Lebanon Again?|date=2018-06-28|website=The Century Foundation |access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> This allegation is based on how these new citizens were bused in to vote and displayed higher voting rates than the nationals did.<ref name=":12" />
+Excessive restrictions were placed on [[Lebanese nationality law|Lebanese citizenship]] due to the importance of the country's demographic balance in [[Confessionalism (politics)|its political operations]].<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |url=https://www.brandeis.edu/crown/publications/meb/MEB116.pdf|website=www.brandeis.edu |title=Lebanon's Hostility to Syrian Refugees|last=Hägerdal |first=Nils|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> However, [[Armenians in Lebanon|Armenian]] and [[Assyrians in Lebanon|Assyrian]] refugees came to Lebanon in 1915 from present-day [[Southeastern Anatolia Region|southeastern]] [[Turkey]], following the [[Armenian genocide|Armenian and Assyrian]] [[genocide]].<ref name="aljazeera.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/04/armenians-arabs-turkey-genocide-150425052603372.html|title=How the Armenians came to live among Arabs {{!}} Human Rights {{!}} Al Jazeera|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404142902/https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/04/armenians-arabs-turkey-genocide-150425052603372.html|url-status=live}}</ref> And when Lebanon was formed after Ottoman rule subsided, these Armenians and Assyrians were given citizenship to Lebanon.<ref name="jpost.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/International/100-years-of-waiting-Lebanon-a-century-after-the-Armenian-Genocide-399124|title=100 years of waiting: Lebanon, a century after the Armenian Genocide – International news – Jerusalem Post|website=www.jpost.com|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404180130/https://www.jpost.com/International/100-years-of-waiting-Lebanon-a-century-after-the-Armenian-Genocide-399124|url-status=live}}</ref> Also, under the [[Syrian occupation of Lebanon|Syrian-occupied Lebanon]] in 1994, the government naturalized over 154,931 foreign residents, of [[Palestinians in Lebanon|Palestinian]] (mostly [[Palestinian Christians]]) and Syrian (mostly [[Sunni Islam in Syria|Syrian Sunnis]] and [[Christianity in Syria|Christians]]) descent.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|last1=Sensenig-Dabbous|first1=Eugene |last2=Hourani |first2=Guita|date=2011-07-04|title=Naturalized Citizens: Political Participation, Voting Behavior, and Impact on Elections in Lebanon (1996–2007) |location=Rochester, NY|ssrn=2211536 }}</ref> The purpose of these naturalization was to sway the elections to a pro-Syrian government.<ref name="tcf.org">{{Cite web|url=https://tcf.org/content/commentary/syria-meddling-lebanon/|title=Is Syria Meddling in Lebanon Again?|date=2018-06-28|website=The Century Foundation|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404142948/https://tcf.org/content/commentary/syria-meddling-lebanon/|url-status=live}}</ref> This allegation is based on how these new citizens were bused in to vote and displayed higher voting rates than the nationals did.<ref name=":12" />
-On June 1, 2018, the notoriously anti-naturalization [[Lebanese president]], [[Michel Aoun]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1316076|title=Naturalization decree an insult to the Lebanese people|date=2018-06-05|website=Arab News|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> signed a naturalization decree granting citizenship to a reported 300 individuals. These individuals come for various backgrounds and religions, however all of them are in one way wealthy and have ties to [[Syrian president]], [[Bashar al-Assad]].<ref name="tcf.org" />
+On June 1, 2018, the notoriously anti-naturalization [[Lebanese president]], [[Michel Aoun]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1316076|title=Naturalization decree an insult to the Lebanese people|date=2018-06-05|website=Arab News|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2018-07-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712083257/http://www.arabnews.com/node/1316076|url-status=live}}</ref> signed a naturalization decree granting citizenship to a reported 300 individuals. These individuals come for various backgrounds and religions, however all of them are in one way wealthy and have ties to [[Syrian president]], [[Bashar al-Assad]].<ref name="tcf.org" />
 == Ethnic groups ==
-Although the majority of Syrians in Lebanon are Arabs (including [[Palestinians in Syria|Palestinians residing in Syria]]), there exists various ethnic and religious minorities, namely [[Armenians in Syria|Syrian Armenians]], [[Syrian Turkmen]] and [[Syrian Kurds]].<ref name=Wahbyetal2014>{{citation|last1=Wahby|first1=Sarah |last2=Ahmadzadeh|first2=Hashem|last3=Çorabatır|first3=Metin|last4=Hashem|first4=Leen|last5=Al Husseini|first5=Jalal|year=2014|title=Ensuring quality education for you refugees from Syria (12-25 year): a mapping exercise|url=https://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/publications/ensuring-quality-education-for-young-refugees-from-syria-12-25-years-a-mapping-exercise-executive-summary|publisher=[[Refugee Studies Centre]], [[University of Oxford]]}}</ref>
+Although the majority of Syrians in Lebanon are Arabs (including [[Palestinians in Syria|Palestinians residing in Syria]]), there exists various ethnic and religious minorities, namely [[Armenians in Syria|Syrian Armenians]], [[Syrian Turkmen]] and [[Syrian Kurds]].<ref name=Wahbyetal2014>{{citation|last1=Wahby|first1=Sarah|last2=Ahmadzadeh|first2=Hashem|last3=Çorabatır|first3=Metin|last4=Hashem|first4=Leen|last5=Al Husseini|first5=Jalal|year=2014|title=Ensuring quality education for you refugees from Syria (12-25 year): a mapping exercise|url=https://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/publications/ensuring-quality-education-for-young-refugees-from-syria-12-25-years-a-mapping-exercise-executive-summary|publisher=[[Refugee Studies Centre]], [[University of Oxford]]|access-date=2018-09-11|archive-date=2018-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425184330/https://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/publications/ensuring-quality-education-for-young-refugees-from-syria-12-25-years-a-mapping-exercise-executive-summary|url-status=live}}</ref>
 === Palestinians ===
 {{See also|Palestinians in Syria}}
-This group consists of descendants of Palestinian refugees who were displaced from Palestine during the [[1947–1949 Palestine war]] to Syria, and then from Syria to Lebanon because of the [[Syrian civil war]] that started in 2011. These Palestinians have been met with favor from existing Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web|url=https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2018/11/7/syrian-displacement-a-palestinian-perspective|title=Syrian displacement: A Palestinian perspective |last=Suber|first=Roshan De Stone and David|website=alaraby|date=7 November 2018 |access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> In January 2015, more Palestinians refugees were recorded to be in Syria than in Lebanon, including the already existing refugees preceding 2011,<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |url=http://www.businessnews.com.lb/cms/Story/StoryDetails/6343/Palestinian-refugees-number-175,000 |title=Palestinian refugees number 175,000. Census reveals 45 percent live in camps|website=BusinessNews.com.lb|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> although in light of the European Migrant Crisis, the numbers have allegedly dropped with many fleeing to Europe and a few to Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/100000-Palestinians-have-fled-Syria-to-Europe-official-says-415395|title=100,000 Palestinians have fled Syria to Europe, official says – Middle East – Jerusalem Post|website=www.jpost.com|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>
+This group consists of descendants of the Palestinian refugees who reached Syria after the [[1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight]], and then moved from Syria to Lebanon because of the [[Syrian civil war]] that started in 2011. The Palestinians refugees from Syria have been met with favor from existing palestinian communities in Lebanon.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web|url=https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2018/11/7/syrian-displacement-a-palestinian-perspective|title=Syrian displacement: A Palestinian perspective|last=Suber|first=Roshan De Stone and David|website=alaraby|date=7 November 2018|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-06-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603034845/https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2018/11/7/syrian-displacement-a-palestinian-perspective|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2015, more Palestinians refugees were recorded to be in Syria than in Lebanon, including the already existing refugees preceding 2011,<ref name=":14">{{Cite web|url=http://www.businessnews.com.lb/cms/Story/StoryDetails/6343/Palestinian-refugees-number-175,000|title=Palestinian refugees number 175,000. Census reveals 45 percent live in camps|website=BusinessNews.com.lb|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-03-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330233152/http://www.businessnews.com.lb/cms/Story/StoryDetails/6343/Palestinian-refugees-number-175,000|url-status=live}}</ref> although in light of the European Migrant Crisis, the numbers have allegedly dropped with many fleeing to Europe and a few to Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/100000-Palestinians-have-fled-Syria-to-Europe-official-says-415395|title=100,000 Palestinians have fled Syria to Europe, official says – Middle East – Jerusalem Post|website=www.jpost.com|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404190626/https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/100000-Palestinians-have-fled-Syria-to-Europe-official-says-415395|url-status=live}}</ref>
 === Turkmen ===
 {{See also|Syrian Turkmen}}
-In October 2015, the Syrian independent newspaper ''Zaman Al Wasl'' reported that 125,000 to 150,000 [[Syrian Turkmen]] refugees arrived in [[Lebanon]], now outnumbering the [[Turks in Lebanon|Turkish minority of Lebanon]].<ref>{{citation|last=Ahmed|first=Yusra|year=2015|title=Syrian Turkmen refugees face double suffering in Lebanon |url=https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/11837.html|publisher=Zaman Al Wasl|access-date= 11 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Syrian Observer|year=2015|title=Syria's Turkmen Refugees Face Cruel Reality in Lebanon|url=http://syrianobserver.com/EN/Features/29920/Syria_Turkmen_Refugees_Face_Cruel_Reality_Lebanon|access-date= 10 October 2016}}</ref> Many of them settled in the small village of [[Kouachra|Kaweishra]] known for its Turkish identity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldbulletin.net/middle-east/syrian-turkmen-flee-to-lebanons-turkish-village-h124411.html|title=Syrian Turkmen flee to Lebanon's Turkish village |website=www.worldbulletin.net|language=tr|access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref> The Turkish government has previously sent out food aid specifically for Turkmen refugees in Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/mideast/2015/01/15/turkey-extends-aid-to-turkmen-refugees-in-lebanon|title=Turkey extends aid to Turkmen refugees in Lebanon |website=DailySabah |date=15 January 2015 |access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref>
+In October 2015, the Syrian independent newspaper ''Zaman Al Wasl'' reported that 125,000 to 150,000 [[Syrian Turkmen]] refugees arrived in [[Lebanon]], now outnumbering the [[Turks in Lebanon|Turkish minority of Lebanon]].<ref>{{citation|last=Ahmed|first=Yusra|year=2015|title=Syrian Turkmen refugees face double suffering in Lebanon|url=https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/11837.html|publisher=Zaman Al Wasl|access-date=11 October 2016|archive-date=23 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823204755/https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/11837.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Syrian Observer|year=2015|title=Syria's Turkmen Refugees Face Cruel Reality in Lebanon|url=http://syrianobserver.com/EN/Features/29920/Syria_Turkmen_Refugees_Face_Cruel_Reality_Lebanon|access-date=10 October 2016|archive-date=11 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011055226/http://syrianobserver.com/EN/Features/29920/Syria_Turkmen_Refugees_Face_Cruel_Reality_Lebanon|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many of them settled in the small village of [[Kouachra|Kaweishra]] known for its Turkish identity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldbulletin.net/middle-east/syrian-turkmen-flee-to-lebanons-turkish-village-h124411.html|title=Syrian Turkmen flee to Lebanon's Turkish village|website=www.worldbulletin.net|language=tr|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2019-04-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403203315/https://www.worldbulletin.net/middle-east/syrian-turkmen-flee-to-lebanons-turkish-village-h124411.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Turkish government has previously sent out food aid specifically for Turkmen refugees in Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/mideast/2015/01/15/turkey-extends-aid-to-turkmen-refugees-in-lebanon |title=Turkey extends aid to Turkmen refugees in Lebanon |website=DailySabah |date=15 January 2015 |access-date=2018-12-17 |archive-date=2019-04-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403203717/https://www.dailysabah.com/mideast/2015/01/15/turkey-extends-aid-to-turkmen-refugees-in-lebanon |url-status=live }}</ref>
-In 2018 the number of Syrian Turkmen in Lebanon had increased to approximately 200,000.<ref name=tbmm>{{cite web|year=2018|title=Suriye Türkmenlerinin sorunlarına ilişkin gündem dışı konuşması|url=https://www.tbmm.gov.tr/develop/owa/genel_kurul.cl_getir?pEid=68928|quote= Yaklaşık olarak 200 bin Türkmen'in Lübnan'da yaşadığı tahmin edilmektedir.|publisher=[[Grand National Assembly of Turkey]]|access-date=17 December 2020}}</ref>
+In 2018 the number of Syrian Turkmen in Lebanon had increased to approximately 200,000.<ref name=tbmm>{{cite web|year=2018|title=Suriye Türkmenlerinin sorunlarına ilişkin gündem dışı konuşması|url=https://www.tbmm.gov.tr/develop/owa/genel_kurul.cl_getir?pEid=68928|quote=Yaklaşık olarak 200 bin Türkmen'in Lübnan'da yaşadığı tahmin edilmektedir.|publisher=[[Grand National Assembly of Turkey]]|access-date=17 December 2020|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201032540/https://www.tbmm.gov.tr/develop/owa/genel_kurul.cl_getir?pEid=68928|url-status=live}}</ref>
 === Kurds ===
-{{See also|Kurds in Syria}}Following the [[United Arab Republic|unification of Syria and Egypt]] in 1958 which resulted in strong Arab nationalism, oppressive measures were taken against Kurds in Syria.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Kurds of Syria|last=McDowall|first=David|publisher=Kurdish Human Rights Project|year=1998}}</ref> This led to a wave of Syrian Kurds resettling into Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Meho|first1=Ibrahim Lokman|last2=W. Kawtharani|first2=Farah|title=The Kurdish community in Lebanon|journal=The International Journal of Kurdish Studies}}</ref> More recently, due to the influx of refugees from the [[Syrian Civil War|Syrian civil war]], a large number of Kurds sought asylum in Lebanon where there was already a significant and well-integrated Kurdish population, despite being underrepresented.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.annahar.com/article/337954-%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%87%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B0%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%B6-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86|title=ما هو العائق الذي يعترض الأكراد في لبنان؟|date=2016-03-21|website=An-Nahar|access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref> Estimates vary on the exact number of Kurdish asylum seekers due to the fact that they are legally registered no differently than Arab Syrians, though some sources estimate the number to be as high as 500,000, almost half of all documented Syrian refugees.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/070120141|title=Syrian Kurds Feel Unwelcome in Lebanon|website=Rudaw|access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref>
+{{See also|Kurds in Syria}}Following the [[United Arab Republic|unification of Syria and Egypt]] in 1958 which resulted in strong Arab nationalism, oppressive measures were taken against Kurds in Syria.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Kurds of Syria|last=McDowall|first=David|publisher=Kurdish Human Rights Project|year=1998}}</ref> This led to a wave of Syrian Kurds resettling into Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Meho|first1=Ibrahim Lokman|last2=W. Kawtharani|first2=Farah|title=The Kurdish community in Lebanon|journal=The International Journal of Kurdish Studies}}</ref> More recently, due to the influx of refugees from the [[Syrian Civil War|Syrian civil war]], a large number of Kurds sought asylum in Lebanon where there was already a significant and well-integrated Kurdish population, despite being underrepresented.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.annahar.com/article/337954-%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%87%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B0%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%B6-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86|title=ما هو العائق الذي يعترض الأكراد في لبنان؟|date=2016-03-21|website=An-Nahar|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404003647/https://www.annahar.com/article/337954-%D9%85%D8%A7-%D9%87%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B0%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%B6-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86|url-status=live}}</ref> Estimates vary on the exact number of Kurdish asylum seekers due to the fact that they are legally registered no differently than Arab Syrians, though some sources estimate the number to be as high as 500,000, almost half of all documented Syrian refugees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/070120141|title=Syrian Kurds Feel Unwelcome in Lebanon|website=Rudaw|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2018-12-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218010730/http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/070120141|url-status=live}}</ref>
 === Armenians ===
 {{See also|Armenians in Syria}}
-Due to the strong support of Armenian institutions and communities in Lebanon, Syrian Armenians have had a relatively smooth integration in Lebanese society.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thearmenite.com/2015/01/anticipation-misery-syrian-armenian-refugees-lebanon/|title=Between Anticipation and Misery: The Syrian-Armenian Refugees of Lebanon|date=2015-01-13|website=The Armenite|access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref> This includes the fact that almost all Syrian-Armenian children are able to study for free in Armenian schools in Lebanon and have an integrated and parliament-represented foundation to rely on.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://armenpress.am/eng/news/875710/syrian-armenians-in-lebanon-tend-to-return-to-syria.html|title=Syrian-Armenians in Lebanon tend to return to Syria|website=armenpress.am|access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref> Most sources estimate the number of the displaced population at around 10,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.am/eng/news/175528.html|title=Around 10,000 Syrian Armenians moved to Armenia and 8,000 to Lebanon – Shahan Ka|website=news.am|access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref>
+Due to the strong support of Armenian institutions and communities in Lebanon, Syrian Armenians have had a relatively smooth integration in Lebanese society.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thearmenite.com/2015/01/anticipation-misery-syrian-armenian-refugees-lebanon/|title=Between Anticipation and Misery: The Syrian-Armenian Refugees of Lebanon|date=2015-01-13|website=The Armenite|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2019-04-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403204159/http://thearmenite.com/2015/01/anticipation-misery-syrian-armenian-refugees-lebanon/|url-status=live}}</ref> This includes the fact that almost all Syrian-Armenian children are able to study for free in Armenian schools in Lebanon and have an integrated and parliament-represented foundation to rely on.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://armenpress.am/eng/news/875710/syrian-armenians-in-lebanon-tend-to-return-to-syria.html|title=Syrian-Armenians in Lebanon tend to return to Syria|website=armenpress.am|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2018-12-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218010544/https://armenpress.am/eng/news/875710/syrian-armenians-in-lebanon-tend-to-return-to-syria.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Most sources estimate the number of the displaced population at around 10,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.am/eng/news/175528.html|title=Around 10,000 Syrian Armenians moved to Armenia and 8,000 to Lebanon – Shahan Ka|website=news.am|access-date=2018-12-17|archive-date=2018-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802162726/https://news.am/eng/news/175528.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
 == Difficulties ==
 === Immigration policies ===
-The Lebanese government has historically maintained an open-door policy towards Syrian refugees despite the absence of formal obligation.<ref name=":16" /> The UNHCR states that the Lebanese government has never signed the [[Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees|1951 Refugee Convention]] which secures a refugee who belongs "to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/law/help/refugee-law/lebanon.php|title=Refugee Law and Policy: Lebanon|last=Saliba|first=Issam|date=March 2016 |website=www.loc.gov|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> Therefore, there exists no international laws which Lebanon must abide by in dealing with the refugees. Adhering to the convention would mean that Lebanon was obligated to provide asylum to refugees and grant refugees the right to access courts, elementary education, and travel documents. Moreover, the refugees are entitles to receive the same public services and treatment in the labor market that Lebanese citizens do.<ref name=":11" /> Therefore, when faced with a large quantity of Syrian refugees entering Lebanon, the government had the ability to carry out its goals, which were to return those refugees back to Syria and discourage permanent residence.<ref name=":6" />
+The Lebanese government has historically maintained an open-door policy towards Syrian refugees despite the absence of formal obligation.<ref name=":16" /> The UNHCR states that the Lebanese government has never signed the [[Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees|1951 Refugee Convention]] which secures a refugee who belongs "to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/law/help/refugee-law/lebanon.php|title=Refugee Law and Policy: Lebanon|last=Saliba|first=Issam|date=March 2016|website=www.loc.gov|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2018-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004030137/http://www.loc.gov/law/help/refugee-law/lebanon.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Therefore, there exists no international laws which Lebanon must abide by in dealing with the refugees. Adhering to the convention would mean that Lebanon was obligated to provide asylum to refugees and grant refugees the right to access courts, elementary education, and travel documents. Moreover, the refugees are entitles to receive the same public services and treatment in the labor market that Lebanese citizens do.<ref name=":11" /> Therefore, when faced with a large quantity of Syrian refugees entering Lebanon, the government had the ability to carry out its goals, which were to return those refugees back to Syria and discourage permanent residence.<ref name=":6" />
-Although Syrian refugees began entering Lebanon in 2011, it was not until 2014 that the government began introducing policies regarding Syrian refugee immigration.<ref name=":6" /> During the three year open-border policy, an estimated 1.5 million Syrians fled to Lebanon without defined policy or legal framework, leaving many of them with limited options .<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aub.edu.lb/Documents/Politics-and-the-Plight-of-Syrian-Refugees-in-Lebanon.pdf|title=Politics and the Plight of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon|website=aub.edu.lb|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> It is arguable that the establishment of policies regarding Syrians immigrating to Lebanon in 2014 was directly aimed at reducing the number of Syrians migrating to Lebanon, and driving them to return to Syria due to the difficult circumstances.<ref name=":6" /> In 2018 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese President Michel Aoun united with the intention "to accelerate [Syrian Refugees] return home".<ref name=":18">{{Cite web |url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Assad-and-Aoun-discuss-ways-and-means-for-the-return-of-Syrian-refugees-from-Lebanon-44718.html|title=Assad and Aoun discuss ways and means for the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon|last=AsiaNews.it|website=www.asianews.it|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>
+Although Syrian refugees began entering Lebanon in 2011, it was not until 2014 that the government began introducing policies regarding Syrian refugee immigration.<ref name=":6" /> During the three year open-border policy, an estimated 1.5 million Syrians fled to Lebanon without defined policy or legal framework, leaving many of them with limited options .<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aub.edu.lb/Documents/Politics-and-the-Plight-of-Syrian-Refugees-in-Lebanon.pdf|title=Politics and the Plight of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon|website=aub.edu.lb|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2018-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219182158/https://www.aub.edu.lb/Documents/Politics-and-the-Plight-of-Syrian-Refugees-in-Lebanon.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> It is arguable that the establishment of policies regarding Syrians immigrating to Lebanon in 2014 was directly aimed at reducing the number of Syrians migrating to Lebanon, and driving them to return to Syria due to the difficult circumstances.<ref name=":6" /> In 2018 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese President Michel Aoun united with the intention "to accelerate [Syrian Refugees] return home".<ref name=":18">{{Cite web|url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Assad-and-Aoun-discuss-ways-and-means-for-the-return-of-Syrian-refugees-from-Lebanon-44718.html|title=Assad and Aoun discuss ways and means for the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon|last=AsiaNews.it|website=www.asianews.it|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2018-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219183007/http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Assad-and-Aoun-discuss-ways-and-means-for-the-return-of-Syrian-refugees-from-Lebanon-44718.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
 === Hostility and prejudice ===
-The 29-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon created negative sentiment in the Lebanese people towards Syrians.<ref name=":5" /> According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Syrian armed forces detained, without trial, thousands of Lebanese citizens, many of whom not only remained arrested, but were transported to Syrian prisons in violation of international law.<ref name=":15">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/1992/WR92/MEW2-03.htm#P563_213996|title=MEW2|website=www.hrw.org|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> Coupled with the kidnapping and assassination of critics to the Syrian regime, what HRW described as a terror campaign, resulted in the Lebanese press censoring any sentiments against Syrian policies in Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lgic.org/en/help_syria.php|title=Syrian Occupation of Lebanon, Help Lebanon|website=www.lgic.org |access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> In July 1991 forty supporters of Michel Aoun were arrested in Kesrouan for handing out leaflets that criticized President Hrawi, another fifty-eight were arrested after holding demonstrations in Ashqout to name a few instances. The families of the detained reported that as well as denying legal council and family visitation rights, Syrian forces tortured those imprisoned.<ref name=":15" /> This mistreatment of citizens by the Syrian forces only ended as recently as 2005, allowing almost 6 years only before a forced integration of Syrians equivalent to one fourth of the population.<ref name=":17" /> The resentment towards Syria is disputed amongst political parties, often debating whether diplomatic and commercial relations between Lebanon and Syria should even be considered.<ref name=":18" />
+The 29-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon created negative sentiment in the Lebanese people towards Syrians.<ref name=":5" /> According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Syrian armed forces detained, without trial, thousands of Lebanese citizens, many of whom not only remained arrested, but were transported to Syrian prisons in violation of international law.<ref name=":15">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/1992/WR92/MEW2-03.htm#P563_213996|title=MEW2|website=www.hrw.org|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2017-03-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312084633/https://www.hrw.org/reports/1992/WR92/MEW2-03.htm#P563_213996|url-status=live}}</ref> Coupled with the kidnapping and assassination of critics to the Syrian regime, what HRW described as a terror campaign, resulted in the Lebanese press censoring any sentiments against Syrian policies in Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lgic.org/en/help_syria.php|title=Syrian Occupation of Lebanon, Help Lebanon|website=www.lgic.org|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-05-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520155141/http://www.lgic.org/en/help_syria.php|url-status=live}}</ref> In July 1991 forty supporters of Michel Aoun were arrested in Kesrouan for handing out leaflets that criticized President Hrawi, another fifty-eight were arrested after holding demonstrations in Ashqout to name a few instances. The families of the detained reported that as well as denying legal council and family visitation rights, Syrian forces tortured those imprisoned.<ref name=":15" /> This mistreatment of citizens by the Syrian forces only ended as recently as 2005, allowing almost 6 years only before a forced integration of Syrians equivalent to one fourth of the population.<ref name=":17" /> The resentment towards Syria is disputed amongst political parties, often debating whether diplomatic and commercial relations between Lebanon and Syria should even be considered.<ref name=":18" />
-Negative sentiment from the Lebanese public is not limited to the negative history. In June 2016 a series of deadly suicide bombings occurred in al-Qaa saw causing 5 deaths.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/lebanon-beirut-protesters-decry-racism-syrians-160719083641250.html|title=Lebanon: Beirut protesters decry racism toward Syrians {{!}} News {{!}} Al Jazeera|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> This was responded to with raids of refugee camps resulting in 100 arrests, after-which only three people were persecuted, two of which were Syrians with links to the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] ([[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIS]]). This was a factor leading up to the implementation of curfews in refugee camps.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-lebanon-idUSKCN1051KO|title=Syrians in Lebanon hit by arrests, curfews and hostility after...|date=2016-07-25|work=Reuters|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> The response to these attacks was negativity to Syrian refugees despite the fact that public deceleration that those charged with the bombing were not refugees.<ref name=":8" /> In July of the same year, at least 200 people gathered in Beirut to march against racism towards Syrian refugees. From the ministry of foreign affairs to the interior ministry under the banner "all against racism" demonstrators were met by negative comments by Lebanese citizens due to them supporting Syrian refugees.<ref name=":8" /> The willingness to believe that the Syrian refugees bring
+Negative sentiment from the Lebanese public is not limited to the negative history. In June 2016 a series of deadly suicide bombings occurred in al-Qaa saw causing 5 deaths.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/lebanon-beirut-protesters-decry-racism-syrians-160719083641250.html|title=Lebanon: Beirut protesters decry racism toward Syrians {{!}} News {{!}} Al Jazeera|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404171559/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/lebanon-beirut-protesters-decry-racism-syrians-160719083641250.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This was responded to with raids of refugee camps resulting in 100 arrests, after-which only three people were persecuted, two of which were Syrians with links to the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] ([[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIS]]). This was a factor leading up to the implementation of curfews in refugee camps.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-lebanon-idUSKCN1051KO|title=Syrians in Lebanon hit by arrests, curfews and hostility after...|date=2016-07-25|work=Reuters|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404171738/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-lebanon-idUSKCN1051KO|url-status=live}}</ref> The response to these attacks was negativity to Syrian refugees despite the fact that public deceleration that those charged with the bombing were not refugees.<ref name=":8" /> In July of the same year, at least 200 people gathered in Beirut to march against racism towards Syrian refugees. From the ministry of foreign affairs to the interior ministry under the banner "all against racism" demonstrators were met by negative comments by Lebanese citizens due to them supporting Syrian refugees.<ref name=":8" /> The willingness to believe that the Syrian refugees bring
-There is also a fear of a [[Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon|spillover of the Syrian Civil war into Lebanon]] which makes citizens unwilling to act as hosts. As early as 2012, the religious fractions that drove the civil war in Syria began to spark assault rifle shootings in open roads and demonstrations including [[burning tires]] against the governments willingness to appease Damascus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/syrias-crisis-reaches-beirut|title=Syria's Crisis Reaches Beirut|website=www.washingtoninstitute.org|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>
+There is also a fear of a [[Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon|spillover of the Syrian Civil war into Lebanon]] which makes citizens unwilling to act as hosts. As early as 2012, the religious fractions that drove the civil war in Syria began to spark assault rifle shootings in open roads and demonstrations including [[burning tires]] against the governments willingness to appease Damascus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/syrias-crisis-reaches-beirut|title=Syria's Crisis Reaches Beirut|website=www.washingtoninstitute.org|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2018-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219182318/https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/syrias-crisis-reaches-beirut|url-status=live}}</ref>
-The precedent of refugees in Lebanon are the Palestinians. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was a significant presence in Lebanon and operated in Palestinian refugee camps.<ref>{{Cite journal|journal=Middle East Journal|volume=32|issue=3|pages=261–278|jstor = 4325767|last1 = Hudson|first1 = Michael C.|title=The Palestinian Factor in the Lebanese Civil War|year=1978}}</ref> From 1968 onward, they carried out military operations against Israel, who would retaliate by conducting raids against Lebanese villages, bringing chaos and destruction to Lebanon. In 1970, following their expulsion from Jordan, the PLO's presence in Lebanon increased and the control they had over parts of the country became more significant. Clashes with the Lebanese army and Christian militias occurred,{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} leading to the involvement of other Lebanese parties and foreign powers that supported the Palestinians, ultimately escalating into the civil war that Syria used to occupy Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Palestine-Liberation-Organization|title=Palestine Liberation Organization {{!}} Palestinian political organization|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> In light of the events, it is not unreasonable for citizens and politicians to be weary of what refugees bring with them, providing a camp could lead to an outcome such as that of Palestinian camps, which are still not under Lebanese jurisdiction to this day.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/a-miracle-in-the-middle-east/2018/10/03/a4cae540-c74a-11e8-b1ed-1d2d65b86d0c_story.html |title=Opinion {{!}} A miracle in the Middle East|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>
+The precedent of refugees in Lebanon are the Palestinians. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was a significant presence in Lebanon and operated in Palestinian refugee camps.<ref>{{Cite journal|journal=Middle East Journal|volume=32|issue=3|pages=261–278|jstor = 4325767|last1 = Hudson|first1 = Michael C.|title=The Palestinian Factor in the Lebanese Civil War|year=1978}}</ref> From 1968 onward, they carried out military operations against Israel, who would retaliate by conducting raids against Lebanese villages, bringing chaos and destruction to Lebanon. In 1970, following their expulsion from Jordan, the PLO's presence in Lebanon increased and the control they had over parts of the country became more significant. Clashes with the Lebanese army and Christian militias occurred,{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} leading to the involvement of other Lebanese parties and foreign powers that supported the Palestinians, ultimately escalating into the civil war that Syria used to occupy Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Palestine-Liberation-Organization|title=Palestine Liberation Organization {{!}} Palestinian political organization|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2015-06-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617002148/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Palestine-Liberation-Organization|url-status=live}}</ref> In light of the events, it is not unreasonable for citizens and politicians to be weary of what refugees bring with them, providing a camp could lead to an outcome such as that of Palestinian camps, which are still not under Lebanese jurisdiction to this day.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/a-miracle-in-the-middle-east/2018/10/03/a4cae540-c74a-11e8-b1ed-1d2d65b86d0c_story.html|title=Opinion {{!}} A miracle in the Middle East|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404172001/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/a-miracle-in-the-middle-east/2018/10/03/a4cae540-c74a-11e8-b1ed-1d2d65b86d0c_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
-Despite the reasoning and rationality for any prejudice, the outcome has been alleged and documented mistreatment of Syrian refugees by authorities, through unwarranted arrest, and civilians.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-refugees-tension-idUSKCN1B8128|title=Hostility grows towards Syrian refugees in Lebanon|date=2017-08-28|work=Reuters|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>
+Despite the reasoning and rationality for any prejudice, the outcome has been alleged and documented mistreatment of Syrian refugees by authorities, through unwarranted arrest, and civilians.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-refugees-tension-idUSKCN1B8128|title=Hostility grows towards Syrian refugees in Lebanon|date=2017-08-28|work=Reuters|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404172015/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-refugees-tension-idUSKCN1B8128|url-status=live}}</ref>
 == Refugees in Lebanon ==
-[[File:Singing helps ease the memories of conflict for Syrian children in Lebanon (11173659465).jpg|thumb|Syrian children in Lebanon]]
+[[File:Singing helps ease the memories of conflict for Syrian children in Lebanon (11173659465).jpg|thumb|Syrian children in Lebanon (2013)]]
 === Refugees in Lebanon ===
-[[File:Kid in the refugee camp of Bourj el-Barajneh - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg|thumb|A child in the refugee camp of Bourj el-Barajneh.]]
+[[File:Kid in the refugee camp of Bourj el-Barajneh - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg|thumb|A child in the refugee camp of Bourj el-Barajneh (2011)]]
-Fleeing to Lebanon in 1948 following the [[Arab-Israeli War of 1948|Arab-Israel War]] and having nowhere to return to till present day,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE18/010/2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211203636/http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE18/010/2007|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-12-11|title=Lebanon: Exiled and suffering: Palestinian refugees in Lebanon {{!}} Amnesty International|date=2013-12-11|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> as of January 2015, there were 452,669 registered [[Palestinian refugees]] in Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unrwa.org/sites/default/files/unrwa_in_figures_2015.pdf |title=UNRWA in Figures 2015 |website=www.unrwa.org|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> 2010 saw a sudden migration of Palestinian Refugees to Europe from Lebanon, contributing to the [[European migrant crisis]].<ref name=":14" /> Palestinian refugees fleeing from Lebanon to European countries has been argued to be a consequence of the migration of Syrian refugees in such large bulk reducing the standard of life and overshadowing them in funding.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pure.diis.dk/ws/files/739488/Diis_Report_2016_12_Web.pdf |website=pure.diis.dk|title=THE NEGLECTED PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN LEBANON AND THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> Palestinian refugees were not welcomed easily, the 1951 Refugee convention was not signed, at least in part, to avoid responsibility of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and for Lebanon to maintain the autonomy to decide the actions the government wishes to take regarding displaced persons.<ref name=":11" />
+Fleeing to Lebanon in 1948 following the [[Arab-Israeli War of 1948|Arab-Israel War]] and having nowhere to return to till present day,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE18/010/2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211203636/http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE18/010/2007|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-12-11|title=Lebanon: Exiled and suffering: Palestinian refugees in Lebanon {{!}} Amnesty International|date=2013-12-11|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> as of January 2015, there were 452,669 registered [[Palestinian refugees]] in Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.unrwa.org/sites/default/files/unrwa_in_figures_2015.pdf |title=UNRWA in Figures 2015 |website=www.unrwa.org |access-date=2018-12-19 |archive-date=2019-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510210642/https://www.unrwa.org/sites/default/files/unrwa_in_figures_2015.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> 2010 saw a sudden migration of Palestinian Refugees to Europe from Lebanon, contributing to the [[European migrant crisis]].<ref name=":14" /> Palestinian refugees fleeing from Lebanon to European countries has been argued to be a consequence of the migration of Syrian refugees in such large bulk reducing the standard of life and overshadowing them in funding.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pure.diis.dk/ws/files/739488/Diis_Report_2016_12_Web.pdf|website=pure.diis.dk|title=THE NEGLECTED PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN LEBANON AND THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2018-02-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219115132/http://pure.diis.dk/ws/files/739488/DIIS_Report_2016_12_Web.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Palestinian refugees were not welcomed easily, the 1951 Refugee convention was not signed, at least in part, to avoid responsibility of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and for Lebanon to maintain the autonomy to decide the actions the government wishes to take regarding displaced persons.<ref name=":11" />
 [[Armenians in Lebanon|Armenian]] and [[Assyrians in Lebanon|Assyrian]] refugees came to Lebanon in 1915 from present-day southeastern Turkey, following the [[Armenian genocide|Armenian and Assyrian]] [[genocide]].<ref name="aljazeera.com"/> At the time, [[Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate|Mount Lebanon was a Mutasarrifate]] within the [[Ottoman Empire]] that held a unique self-governing status. The Armenian and Assyrian refugees found it as a safe haven given its semi-autonomous state and because of the religious beliefs that they shared with the majority. When Lebanon was formed after Ottoman rule subsided, these Armenians and Assyrians were given citizenship to Lebanon, they are represented in the parliament and have integrated into society in Lebanon.<ref name="jpost.com"/>
-[[File:Syrian refugee children in a Lebanese school classroom (15101234827).jpg|thumb|Syrian refugee children in a Lebanese school classroom]]
+[[File:Syrian refugee children in a Lebanese school classroom (15101234827).jpg|thumb|Syrian refugee children in a Lebanese school classroom (2013)]]
 === Syrian refugees in Lebanon ===
 {{See|Refugees of the Syrian Civil War in Lebanon}}
 As the numbers of Syrians in Lebanon have grown, so have tensions; the attitude towards reception of Syrians in Lebanon quickly became opposed to. The influx of Syrians into Lebanon has resulted in economic, political, social and religious tensions in Lebanon.<ref name=":10">{{Cite journal|last1=Cherri|first1=Zeinab|last2=Arcos González |first2=Pedro |last3=Castro Delgado|first3=Rafael|date=2016-07-14|title=The Lebanese–Syrian crisis: impact of influx of Syrian refugees to an already weak state|journal=Risk Management and Healthcare Policy|volume=9|pages=165–172|doi=10.2147/RMHP.S106068|issn=1179-1594|pmc=4948691|pmid=27471417 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Curfews have been put into place in some cities and villages to ensure public safety following attacks on police and members of the military by religious Syrian extremist groups{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}}. Many Lebanese citizens fear that there is a possibility of [[Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon]], especially after [[Religion in Syria#Sunnis|Syrian Sunni Muslim]] extremist groups executed of Lebanese soldiers in August 2014 as part of the [[Battle of Arsal]].
-[[File:Knitting a brighter future for Syrian refugees in Lebanon (11173833666).jpg|thumb|Knitting a brighter future for Syrian refugees in Lebanon]]
+[[File:Knitting a brighter future for Syrian refugees in Lebanon (11173833666).jpg|thumb|Knitting a brighter future for Syrian refugees in Lebanon (2013)]]
-In the 2017 Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) Lebanon makes clear the rights it maintains in light of the influx of Syrian 'refugees',<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/lebanon-crisis-response-plan-2017-2020-enar|title=Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017–2020 [EN/AR] – Lebanon|website=ReliefWeb|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>
+In the 2017 Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) Lebanon makes clear the rights it maintains in light of the influx of Syrian 'refugees',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/lebanon-crisis-response-plan-2017-2020-enar|title=Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017–2020 [EN/AR] – Lebanon|website=ReliefWeb|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513210721/https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/lebanon-crisis-response-plan-2017-2020-enar|url-status=live}}</ref>
 {{Quote|text=The UN characterizes the flight of civilians from Syria as a refugee movement, and considers that these Syrians are seeking international protection and are likely to meet the refugee definition. The Government of Lebanon considers that it is being subject to a situation of mass influx. It refers to individuals who fled from Syria into its territory after March 2011 as temporarily displaced individuals, and reserves its sovereign right to determine their status according to Lebanese laws and regulations.|sign=Government of Lebanon, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon|source=Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017–2020 [EN/AR]}}
 Lebanon maintains its position as not being a state for refugees<ref name=":10" /> despite the Palestinian and Armenians residing in the country as displaced individuals. Syrians seeking shelter have been met with a "no camp" policy from the government which lead them to rent cheap land and even rooms in previously existing Palestinian refugee camps.<ref name=":13" />
-The large majority of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are Sunni Muslims.<ref>[https://minorityrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/MRG_Brief_Leb_ENG_Feb19.pdf An uncertain future for Syrian refugees in Lebanon: The challenges of life in exile and the barriers to return]</ref>
 == Resolution ==
-[[File:Syrian children outside their temporary home, in Lebanons Bekaa Valley (11174249693).jpg|thumb|Syrian children outside their temporary home, in Lebanons Bekaa Valley]]
+[[File:Syrian children outside their temporary home, in Lebanons Bekaa Valley (11174249693).jpg|thumb|Syrian children outside their temporary home, in the Bekaa Valley (2013)]]
 === Returning to Syria ===
-With [[Bashar al-Assad]] regaining support and control, refugees have begun returning to Syria, both individually and with the aid of [[Damascus]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-lebanon-refugees-idUSKCN1M51OM|title=Fifty thousand Syrians returned to Syria from Lebanon this year:... |date=2018-09-25|work=Reuters|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> Lebanon urges refugees to return to Syria, claiming that they are unable to accommodate 25% of its population in refugees. The [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|UNHCR]] advises against the return of Syrian refugees under the circumstances in Syria,<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/syrian-refugees-in-lebanon-potential-forced-return|title=Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Potential Forced Return?|last=Elbadawi|first=Hanan|website=Atlantic Council|date=6 July 2018 |access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> this was responded to by a freeze on residency applications for UNHCR staff<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20180608-lebanon-freezes-unhcr-residency-applications-syria-refugees|title=Lebanon freezes residency applications for UNHCR staff|date=2018-06-08|website=France 24|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> This approach has led to the argument that Lebanon is beginning to 'force' refugees back to Syria despite the potential danger of doing so.<ref name=":7" />
+With [[Bashar al-Assad]] regaining support and control, refugees have begun returning to Syria, both individually and with the aid of [[Damascus]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-lebanon-refugees-idUSKCN1M51OM|title=Fifty thousand Syrians returned to Syria from Lebanon this year:...|date=2018-09-25|work=Reuters|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428174405/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-lebanon-refugees-idUSKCN1M51OM|url-status=live}}</ref> Lebanon urges refugees to return to Syria, claiming that they are unable to accommodate 25% of its population in refugees. The [[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees|UNHCR]] advises against the return of Syrian refugees under the circumstances in Syria,<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/syrian-refugees-in-lebanon-potential-forced-return|title=Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Potential Forced Return?|last=Elbadawi|first=Hanan|website=Atlantic Council|date=6 July 2018|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423013551/https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/syrian-refugees-in-lebanon-potential-forced-return|url-status=live}}</ref> this was responded to by a freeze on residency applications for UNHCR staff<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20180608-lebanon-freezes-unhcr-residency-applications-syria-refugees|title=Lebanon freezes residency applications for UNHCR staff|date=2018-06-08|website=France 24|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513212720/https://www.france24.com/en/20180608-lebanon-freezes-unhcr-residency-applications-syria-refugees|url-status=live}}</ref> This approach has led to the argument that Lebanon is beginning to 'force' refugees back to Syria despite the potential danger of doing so.<ref name=":7" />
+In 2024, Lebanese Prime Minister [[Najib Mikati]] stated that "most" Syrians should be repatriated to safe zones within Syria. The Interior Minister, [[Bassam Mawlawi]], urged for a cap on the number of Syrians in the country, Foreign Minister [[Abdallah Bou Habib]] stated that the "crisis of Syrian migrants has spiralled out of control".<ref name=":19">{{Cite news |last=Bower |first=Edmund |date=2024-05-08 |title=‘If they see a Syrian, they beat them up’: the refugees living in fear in Lebanon |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/may/08/syrian-refugees-lebanon-death-christian-political-leader-vigilante-attacks |access-date=2024-05-09 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
 === Aid ===
-[[File:Two Syrian women wait to collect a prescription at a health clinic in Lebanons Bekaa Valley (11174124425).jpg|thumb|Two Syrian women wait to collect a prescription at a health clinic in Lebanons Bekaa Valley]]
+[[File:Two Syrian women wait to collect a prescription at a health clinic in Lebanons Bekaa Valley (11174124425).jpg|thumb|Two Syrian women wait to collect a prescription at a health clinic in Bekaa Valley (2013)]]
-The Lebanese government and NGO's provide assistance to the displaced refugees. [[Medair]], a Swiss NGO, provides aid to Syrian refugees in Lebanon through various means. Housing is supported through distribution of shelter kits and improvements of living conditions for the refugees who have found a place to stay; healthcare, mapping, and hygiene also fall under the contributions of Medair to refugees in Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.medair.org/lebanon/|title=Lebanon|website=Medair|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> [[Caritas Internationalis|Caritas]] Lebanon is another NGO that aids refugees under the [[Catholic Church]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.caritas.org.lb/who_we_are|title=Who_we_are|website=Caritas Lebanon|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref> Providing resources in the form of settlements to over 100 families of Syrian refugees in Lebanon; Caritas navigated the Lebanese governments not permitting formal refugee camps by providing materials that could be added to existing structures to create shelter for the refugees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caritas.org.nz/newsroom/stories/sheltering-syrian-refugees-lebanon |title=Sheltering Syrian refugees in Lebanon {{!}} Caritas|website=www.caritas.org.nz|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>
+The Lebanese government and NGO's provide assistance to the displaced refugees. [[Medair]], a Swiss NGO, provides aid to Syrian refugees in Lebanon through various means. Housing is supported through distribution of shelter kits and improvements of living conditions for the refugees who have found a place to stay; healthcare, mapping, and hygiene also fall under the contributions of Medair to refugees in Lebanon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.medair.org/lebanon/|title=Lebanon|website=Medair|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-05-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527234442/https://www.medair.org/lebanon/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Caritas Lebanon]] is another NGO that aids refugees under the [[Catholic Church]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.caritas.org.lb/who_we_are|title=Who_we_are|website=Caritas Lebanon|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2018-06-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618172306/http://www.caritas.org.lb/who_we_are|url-status=dead}}</ref> Providing resources in the form of settlements to over 100 families of Syrian refugees in Lebanon; Caritas navigated the Lebanese governments not permitting formal refugee camps by providing materials that could be added to existing structures to create shelter for the refugees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caritas.org.nz/newsroom/stories/sheltering-syrian-refugees-lebanon|title=Sheltering Syrian refugees in Lebanon {{!}} Caritas|website=www.caritas.org.nz|access-date=2018-12-19|archive-date=2019-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404143333/https://caritas.org.nz/newsroom/stories/sheltering-syrian-refugees-lebanon|url-status=live}}</ref>
+Amidst the economic crisis in Lebanon, the European Union faced a surge of refugees entering from Lebanon mainly towards Cyprus. In response, the EU provide €1 billion to the Lebanese government in 2024 for over three years to help prevent a surge of refugees leaving Lebanon into Europe. This sparked outrage among Lebanese as it prompts Syrians to permanently settle in Lebanon. The head of the Lebanese Forces party, [[Samir Geagea]], his party will “continue exerting all efforts until the last illegal migrant leaves Lebanon”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Netherlands Supports Lebanon with €140 Million |url=https://english.aawsat.com/node/5004201 |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=english.aawsat.com |language=en}}</ref>
 == Notable People ==
-*[[Charles Debbas]], the first president of Lebanon. His family originated in [[Damascus]].
+*[[Charles Debbas]], the first president of Lebanon; his family originated in [[Damascus]]
-*[[Tammam Salam]], former acting president of Lebanon. His mother hails from Damascus.
+*[[Tammam Salam]], former acting president of Lebanon; his mother hails from Damascus
-*[[Henri Philippe Pharaoun|Henri Pharaoun]], former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon. He designed the Lebanese flag.
+*[[Henri Philippe Pharaoun|Henri Pharaoun]], former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon; he designed the Lebanese flag
-*[[Abdallah El-Yafi]], former prime minister of Lebanon. His mother was from Damascus.
+*[[Abdallah El-Yafi]], former prime minister of Lebanon; his mother was from Damascus
+*[[Joseph Safra]], billionaire banker; he belonged to the [[Safra family]] which traces its roots to Aleppo
+*[[David Nahmad]], billionaire former art dealer whose family originally came from Aleppo
 *[[Ghassan Tueni]], founder of [[An-Nahar]] newspaper
 *[[Selim Mouzannar]], jeweler
+*[[Hubert Fattal]], businessman
+*[[Joe Raad]], singer
 *[[Elissa (singer)|Elissa]], famous singer, her mother is Syrian
@@ Line 181: / Line 195: @@
 [[Category:Arabs in Lebanon]]
 [[Category:Ethnic groups in Lebanon]]
-[[Category:Middle Eastern diaspora in Lebanon]]
+[[Category:West Asian diaspora in Lebanon]]
 [[Category:Syrian emigrants to Lebanon]]
 [[Category:Syrian diaspora in the Middle East|Lebanon]]