A billion-euro EU aid package to Lebanon, in part to stem migration, caused an uproar in the country and triggered a crackdown on Syrian refugees that advocates warn will only push more to flee abroad
Hundreds of Syrians in Lebanon have been evicted, and thousands more face losing their homes, as the country cracks down on refugees. Some 1,306 Syrian households and individuals have been evicted so far in 2024, compared to 78 in 2023.
The government of Iraqi Kurdistan has suspended residency renewals for Syrians in its territory without issuing a formal decision, leaving many in a state of chaos and confusion about their future in the autonomous region.
In northern Syria’s Kobani, a border city facing Turkish shelling and continuous threats of a ground assault, many residents are trying to sell their property to pay for a way out. With the city’s future uncertain, there are few buyers.
The number of Syrians making treacherous sea crossings to Cyprus has spiked, prompting the island nation to announce it will no longer process Syrian asylum applications. Many fleeing Lebanon and Syria are not deterred.
Since 2013, Syrians entering Egypt must apply for a special security clearance that costs $1,050-1,500 each time. The costly requirement has limited Syrian migration to Egypt, prevented many refugees from reuniting with their relatives outside the country and birthed an opaque industry of brokers.
Atia Abu Salem, a Syrian refugee in Jordan arrested on his way to a pro-Gaza demonstration this month, is facing deportation. The families of “many Syrians” among the more than 1,500 people detained amid recent protests are keeping quiet, afraid of “escalation.”
Erbil’s April 4 decision to stop issuing visas to Syrians has been a disaster for those for whom the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was a safe haven from conscription or a place to reunite with family members after years of separation.
The killing of a member of a right-wing Christian political party in Lebanon last week, attributed by the army to Syrian carjackers, unleashed a torrent of violence and threats against refugees, leaving many afraid to leave their homes.
Syrians, like other refugees in Egypt, face a host of barriers to residency and work permits. Pushed into the informal sector, they face exploitation and abuse. Their plight points to the darker side of Egypt for millions of foreigners.
