1. Situational analysis and context
Protection
The Government of Lebanon estimates the total Syrian population in Lebanon to be 1.5 million; this includes both the displaced who are registered and not registered with UNHCR. As of September 2015, 79 percent of Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR are women and children, and 59 percent below 18 years of age. Similarly, 69 percent of Palestine Refugees from Syria (PRS) are women and children, and 38 percent below 18 years of age. Around 20 percent of Syrian refugees registered UNHCR are identified as persons with specific needs.
While Lebanon generously maintained open borders during the first years of the Syrian conflict, stricter border regulations have since been introduced, leading to a significant reduction in the admission of persons arriving from Syria in need of international protection. Stricter border measures for PRS were introduced in May 2014, limiting entry to only three categories, each requiring preapproval: embassy appointments, transit to a third-country and exceptional entry supported by a sponsor in Lebanon.
New border regulations were introduced for Syrian nationals in January 2015, limiting admission to Lebanon to certain categories including, among others, tourism, study, business and transit, and requiring documentary evidence of the stated reason of entry. Syrians wishing to enter under the ‘displaced’ category are limited to exceptional humanitarian cases, according to criteria developed by Ministry of Social Affairs and which currently do not include PRS.
In May 2015, the Government of Lebanon notified UNHCR that all new registrations should be suspended until a government-led mechanism to deal with those who seek registration is established. Since then, persons displaced from Syria who approach UNHCR are counselled on the regulations and have their specific needs assessed and recorded in order to assist the most vulnerable.
Residency regulations introduced since January 2015 have added new requirements for the renewal and regularization of residency permits of Syrians in Lebanon. Requirements such as the pledge not to work, in addition to the required fee of US$200 per person per year above 15 years of age, represent further obstacles for those seeking renewal or regularization of residency. Since 2013, PRS have been facing fairly similar requirements including, with limited exceptions, to pay US$200 per person per year to obtain residency permits that they will need to renew every three months. On an exceptional basis, in September 2014 and in November 2015, PRS were exempted from the payment of US$200.
Based on a total of 75,000 household visits of displaced Syrians that have been conducted on a monthly basis since January 2015, 61 percent of those visited in July 2015 reported no valid residency, as compared to 9 percent of households visited in January1. Recent surveys indicate the main obstacles faced are high costs, finding a Lebanese sponsor (required in many instances, even for those registered with UNHCR), demonstrating financial means, challenges in obtaining the required documents from landlords and mukhtars, as well as signing the pledge not to work. For PRS, procedures to renew or extend residency permits have not been communicated publicly by the Lebanese authorities since January 2015 and processes remain inconsistent. As of August 2014, only 44 percent of PRS had valid residency documents2. Moreover, the number of PRS without valid residency has risen steadily since August 2014, with a study from March 2015 indicating that 86 percent of PRS respondents had expired residency documents3.
As a result of these measures, persons displaced from Syria report a growing sense of insecurity and unease.
Approximately 90 percent believe the lack of legal residency impacts their safety4 and are at heightened risk of arrest and detention, including deportation orders that, to date, are not being enforced5. Some displaced Syrians report challenges related to fear of exploitation associated with sponsorship, and increased risks of sexual exploitation and abuse for women. Obstacles to freedom of movement due to municipal curfews, checkpoints and fear of arrest for lack of legal residency impact their overall sense of safety.
In addition, dwindling assistance and limited opportunities for self-support, along with distance and cost, affects their access to basic services like education and health, thereby increasing distress on caregivers and children6. According to a recent study, 67 percent of displaced Syrians without a valid legal residency did not feel free to go outside of the area they were living, mainly due to checkpoints7. Among the coping mechanisms employed are increased responsibilities for women and children, as they are less likely to be stopped at checkpoints, but they are exposed to increased risks of exploitation and harassment.
Displaced Syrians also face barriers to obtaining civil status documentation, most notably birth registration due to issues related to valid residency which may create heightened risks of statelessness and restrict access to essential basic services. According to UNHCR statistics, over 60,000 Syrian children have been born in Lebanon to refugees registered with UNHCR since the beginning of the crisis, but nearly 70 percent of them do not have a registered birth certificate with the competent Lebanese authorities. In addition, the lack of civil documentation certifying marriage, divorce and death, can have implications regarding legal guardianship over children and inheritance rights, including upon return to Syria. Marriage registration is scarce, also due to fees that are often unaffordable. Limited legal protection is available for women and girls in such cases, since without official documentation of the marriage, legal action such as annulment of the marriage, divorce or custody of children becomes impossible.
Many children who entered Lebanon before reaching 15 years of age and therefore do not possess Syrian national IDs, are now above 15 but unable to obtain civil status documentation, which is also required for legal residency. As of September 2015, the sector has provided legal counselling, assistance and representation to 24,188 persons on a wide range of issues ranging from legal residency to civil status documentation.
The combination of lack of legal residency, reductions in assistance, limited self-support opportunities, and depletion of resources including savings and assets, is increasing the vulnerability of persons displaced from Syria. Results from the 2015 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees (VASyR) in Lebanon indicate a worrying increase in households applying severe negative coping strategies, rising from 28 percent in 2014 to 67 percent in 2015. This includes reports of increased begging, protracted debt, withdrawing children from school, engagement of children in worst forms of child labour, and child marriage.
Finally, participatory assessments, monitoring visits and focus groups discussions conducted with displaced Syrians indicate a rise in psychological distress, frustration and anger, as well as isolation within their communities.
Similarly, results from the PRS Vulnerability Assessment conducted by UNRWA indicate that 91 percent of the PRS families lacked food or the money to buy food. Out of these, 10 percent reported at least one member of the family spending days without eating, 39 percent reported reducing non-food expenditures such as health or education, and 5 to 8 percent reported withdrawing children from school and enlisting them in income-generating activities as negative coping strategies. For example, 80 percent of PRS families said they had exhausted all of their savings and 90 percent said they were forced to sell assets in order to survive8.
Palestine Refugees from Lebanon (PRLs) are an already vulnerable category, now facing additional pressure and competition from PRS inside overcrowded camps, especially in terms of increased rental rates, lower wages for even less qualified jobs, and a general strain on camp infrastructure.
The traditional social network in camps has been significantly (8) UNRWA and AUB Profiling the vulnerability of Palestine refugees from Syria living in Lebanon, 2015. challenged by the mass influx of refugees, and an increase in internal tensions.
Based on the VASyR findings in 2015, it is estimated that around 30,000 displaced persons from Syria have some sort of physical, sensory or mental impairment. Older persons, persons suffering from trauma, and persons with disabilities 9are among the most vulnerable population. Needs continue to exceed what service providers can cover for persons with disabilities, including in the provision of rehabilitation services, assistive devices and mental health care10.
In order to safeguard Lebanon and all its residents, law enforcement and judicial authorities have had to adapt to a more complex environment where they are required to ensure peace and security for a larger population, including persons displaced from Syria. Authorities and civil society require resources and support to ensure protection-sensitive responses, strengthen access to justice and rule of law, and ensure that displaced populations are not disproportionately affected. With more than 20 percent of the population living in informal settlements and collective shelters, strengthening rental-related tenure security and site management and coordination is also a priority. More than 30,000 residents of informal settlements have been either evicted or threatened with eviction in 2015, compounding the vulnerabilities of those already destitute and with no other shelter alternative.
Lebanese returnees from Syria represent a largely under assisted and less visible group. Their situation is difficult, as most returned with few belongings, are underemployed and often reside in substandard shelters.
In addition, host communities with a high concentration of displaced Syrians face their own set of poverty related challenges, often with ramifications in terms of protection.