Despite an improved political and security situation in many parts of Syria, tens of thousands of Syrians have continued to flock to Lebanon since the Assad regime fell last December.
With scant resources available to help 1.2 million displaced people in Lebanon, tensions are rising and Syrians are a low priority. Abandoned to sleep in the street as Israel’s violent escalation deepens, for many it feels like history repeating itself.
Young Syrians returning from Lebanon to AANES-held northeastern Syria, like those heading for regime areas, face the threat of conscription for “self-defense duty.”
While tens of thousands have fled Lebanon for Syria this week, many Syrians are taking their chances with Israeli bombing rather than face the risks of return.
As pressure on Syrians in Lebanon grows, Palestinian refugee camps have become a haven for refugees seeking lower rents and relative safety from eviction, street violence and the threat of deportation.
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.
Motorcycles and scooters are a lifeline for many Syrians in Lebanon, but most cannot legally register them. As police crack down, they face fines, extortion and—as seen in the recent killing of a young man at a checkpoint in Beirut—violence.
As Lebanon presses forward with mass deportations of Syrian refugees, those openly involved in opposition activities against the Assad regime face a growing danger.
Intolerable conditions in Lebanon are pushing increasing numbers of Syrians to take to the sea. With all eyes on escalating violence in southern Lebanon, the number of Syrians leaving from the north over the past two months reached more than four times the number for the same period in 2022.
Syrian children are among the hardest hit as Lebanon’s public education system falters under the weight of economic crisis and dwindling funding.
