Syrian refugees tend to describe Lebanon as a prison. Its legal restrictions and political fragility make realising their key life plans extremely difficult. For many, migration is a tool to imagine a better future elsewhere. Similarly, return is often imagined as a way to return to a lost life style. But being able to leave the country is often a matter of money and social networks. The majority of Syrians in Lebanon feel stuck.
Lebanon has one of the highest refugee to domestic population ratios in the world – an estimated 1-2 million refugees in a country of less than 7 million total people. A large part of these refugees today are Syrians who have arrived since 2011. They face huge legal restrictions. Entering, residing, and working within the country are all exceedingly difficult. They also lack legal protection, as while UNHCR is allowed to register Syrians and provide the most vulnerable with some assistance, the Lebanese government does not legally recognise their status as refugees.
Syrians registered with UNHCR are legally restricted to working in specific sectors, such as construction, agriculture, garbage collection, or hospitality, even though many have trained for other sorts of employment. Consequently, the overwhelming majority of Syrian refugees are now working in informal labour sectors in Lebanon. On top of this, their living conditions are further reduced by Lebanon’s overall economic situation, which has worsened in recent years. These are all reasons for Syrians to leave Lebanon. But since Turkey largely sealed its southern border in 2016 that too has become much more difficult.
