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Lebanese Interior Ministry, General Security Take Steps to Resolve Syrian Refugee Crisis

Lebanese caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at the interior ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP)
Lebanese caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at the interior ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP)
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Lebanese Interior Ministry, General Security Take Steps to Resolve Syrian Refugee Crisis

Lebanese caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at the interior ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP)
Lebanese caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at the interior ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP)

Lebanese officials can no longer afford to lightly deal with the Syrian refugee file, especially amid rising popular and political pressure to deal with the crisis.

The Interior Ministry and General Security announced immediate practical steps to resolve the crisis that started in 2011 with the eruption of the conflict in neighboring Syria.

The refugee file was brought back to the spotlight after a Syrian gang was accused of kidnapping and killing Pascal Sleiman, Jbeil coordinator of the Lebanese Forces. Syrians are also behind a spike in crime in Lebanon.

The situation has prompted some partisan forces in some regions to take action against the refugees, such as expelling them from villages and towns and expelling Syrian students from Lebanese schools.

43% of the population

According to acting General Security chief Elias al-Baysari, some 2.1 million Syrian refugees are in Lebanon or around 43 percent of Lebanon’s population.

In December, the General Security directorate received figures from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) showing that it has registered 1.486 million refugees, without specifying when they were registered or when they entered Lebanon.

Sources from the General Security told Asharq Al-Awsat that the UNHCR was asked to hand in new data related to the date of entry of the refugees, specifically if they had entered after 2015, which was when the Lebanese government had decided that it would no longer register more refugees.

New measures

The sources said the General Security was ready to deport 2,000 to 3,000 unregistered Syrians a day if the political authorities take a decision over the issue.

Measures have been adopted in recent weeks to organize this file and push for the refugees’ return to their homes, they added.

Among these measures are refusal to accept bank statements and draft new lease agreements that are needed to renew residency permits, and shutting stores that are creating unfair competition with Lebanese businesses.

Geagea calls for deporting violators

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Friday that 40 to 45 percent of Syrian refugees are living in Lebanon illegally, warning that the Syrian crisis probably needs another 13 years to be resolved.

Speaking at a press conference, he added that during that time, the number of Syrians in Lebanon could rise to 4 million and equal the number of Lebanese people.

He said the General Security was the main party to blame for the crisis, then the Internal Security Forces and army.

The crisis must be resolved according to the 1962 law that stipulates that people without residency permits must be deported. Such a move is administrative and decided by the General Security, without resorting to the judiciary, he explained.

This also negates the need for a political decision to implement the law, he went on to say.

An official source refuted Geagea’s claims, saying the law on entering and residing in Lebanon does not include the law that he mentioned.

The law also does not cover Lebanese legal texts on the direct deportation of any Arab or foreign national who violates residency regulations in Lebanon, it added.

It explained that the law referred to by Geagea calls for prosecuting the violator and awaiting a legal ruling on their deportation.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the source said the General Security requested information from the UNHCR about who entered Lebanon before or after 2015 to determine who needs protection and who can be returned home.

Interior Ministry

It suggested that lawmakers must propose laws and amend others so that the process of returning the refugees home can be sped up, instead of making security agencies shoulder political responsibilities.

The Interior Ministry had in September issued a number of decrees to regulate the presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and tasked municipalities and provinces to tally their numbers in their areas of jurisdiction. It also called for extra scrutiny in observing where they reside and work.

It compiled a report every 15 days with its findings in an attempt to crack down on violations.

Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi recently called on municipal chiefs and governors to strictly implement these regulations.

Security sources said that at the moment, efforts are being made to organize the presence of the refugees and compile a clear database.

Protecting Lebanon and averting strife are the Interior Ministry and security agencies’ top priorities, they told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“We will not allow any fifth column to undermine the security of the country and its citizens,” they vowed.

Syrians poured into Lebanon in 2011 through legal and illegal means, making it hard for authorities to keep track of them and tally their actual numbers.

Lebanon has been in the throes of a severe economic crisis since 2019 that has curtailed the people’s purchasing power and plunged more than half of the population in poverty.

The refugees are now perceived as competing with the Lebanese people for basic and essential goods, such as bread and fuel, as well as job opportunities, creating deep resentment and tensions. The situation came to a head with Sleiman’s killing earlier this month.

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Arab World

Syria Fears War Fallout on Domestic Stability

Syrians who fled the war in Lebanon check in after arriving at the Syrian-Lebanese border crossing in Jdeidet Yabous, Syria, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syrians who fled the war in Lebanon check in after arriving at the Syrian-Lebanese border crossing in Jdeidet Yabous, Syria, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
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Syria Fears War Fallout on Domestic Stability

Syrians who fled the war in Lebanon check in after arriving at the Syrian-Lebanese border crossing in Jdeidet Yabous, Syria, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syrians who fled the war in Lebanon check in after arriving at the Syrian-Lebanese border crossing in Jdeidet Yabous, Syria, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Syrian experts warned that escalating tensions in the region could drag on indefinitely, placing Syria at the heart of the crisis as the government struggles to meet citizens’ needs amid the return of hundreds of thousands of refugees from Lebanon and expectations of further returns from Türkiye and neighboring countries this summer.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that if tensions ease in the near term, the impact of the ongoing regional war would be limited.

“But if it continues, the consequences will be catastrophic for countries with fragile economies, foremost among them Syria,” they said.

Even as the Energy Ministry denied any current shortages of petroleum products, Syrian refugees continued to stream back from Lebanon.

The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said the Jousieh border crossing in Homs province recorded a noticeable rise on Tuesday in the number of returnees due to current security developments in the region.

The General Authority for Land and Sea Ports said on Monday that the Jdeidet Yabous and Jousieh crossings had received about 11,000 arrivals from Lebanon, most of them Syrians. It said it remained on full alert to handle the growing influx.

At home, early signs of strain are emerging. Lines have lengthened at household gas distribution centers, and electricity rationing hours have increased after a relative improvement in recent months.

The fallout from the regional escalation was immediate, economists said. Firas Shaabo told Asharq Al-Awsat that while Syria is not a direct party to the conflict, it sits at its economic center. A prolonged crisis would be devastating for fragile economies, especially Syria’s, he said.

Investors and institutions that signed agreements with Damascus would retreat into what he described as “internal hedging,” leaving Syria to cope alone.

That comes as hundreds of thousands of refugees return involuntarily from Lebanon and Iraq, with large numbers also expected from Türkiye this summer, along with expatriates - a heavy burden for a government already under strain.

Academic researcher and economic adviser Ziad Ayoub Arbache said the military escalation had morphed into an “economic shock,” rippling through oil prices, shipping lanes and civil aviation routes.

As regional security risks mount, fragile economies, led by Syria, are facing mounting pressure on energy supplies, supply chains and exchange rates amid warnings of disruptions.

The broad strikes on Iran carry economic implications, alongside threats to Gulf shipping.

Iranian strikes affecting the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 25% of global oil trade passes, have driven up insurance premiums and freight costs.

Arbache said higher shipping and insurance costs were already squeezing Syria’s access to fuel, industrial and food supplies, and production inputs. Oil, he noted, is used in the manufacture of 500,000 products in Syria. Energy-intensive sectors such as cement, food and agriculture have been hit, with output falling and prices rising, fueling inflation.

If the escalation widens, oil prices could top $100 a barrel, he warned. Factory closures, rising unemployment and shrinking remittances from expatriates, particularly in the Gulf, would likely follow.

Long-awaited investments could stall, capital could flee, and unemployment could climb again amid entrenched stagflation, especially in construction and tourism. A renewed energy crisis would pile further pressure on households.

The Energy Ministry said on Tuesday there was no shortage of gasoline, diesel or household gas. Refineries were operating normally, crude import contracts remained in place through approved channels, and operational stockpiles were within safe limits.

It said congestion at some fuel stations stemmed from an unprecedented spike in demand, with sales surging to more than 300% of the normal daily average due to fears over regional developments and the spread of rumors, not an actual supply shortfall.

Still, Shaabo warned of “very difficult days” ahead if tensions fail to subside. Syria depends heavily on imported essentials, while its production base is limited, reserves are weak and infrastructure worn down. Exchange rate distortions add further strain.

Syria’s external vulnerability outweighs its internal resilience, he said, and any global energy shock would quickly erode purchasing power and living standards.

Arbache agreed, saying Syria’s economy “is tied to the trajectory of the conflict through oil, transport and exchange rates.”

Between open-ended escalation and possible political containment, he said, the course of the war will determine economic and living stability in the period ahead.

Arab World

Syria Says Army Reinforces Deployment Along Border with Lebanon, Iraq

Syrian troops on patrol in the Hasakeh region. (AFP)
Syrian troops on patrol in the Hasakeh region. (AFP)
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Syria Says Army Reinforces Deployment Along Border with Lebanon, Iraq

Syrian troops on patrol in the Hasakeh region. (AFP)
Syrian troops on patrol in the Hasakeh region. (AFP)

Syria's defense ministry said it reinforced its border with Lebanon, and eight Syrian and Lebanese sources said this included rocket units and thousands of troops as conflict spread in the region including between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The sources included five Syrian military officers, a Syrian security official and two Lebanese security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Syrian defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the army has reinforced its deployment along the Syrian borders with Lebanon and Iraq ‌as part of ‌efforts to “protect and control the borders amid the escalating regional ‌conflict”.

The ⁠deployed units belong ⁠to the border guard and reconnaissance battalions tasked with monitoring border activities and combating smuggling, the ministry added.

The Syrian officers said the Syrian reinforcement operation began in February but sped up in recent days. The Syrian and Lebanese armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Syrian officers, including a senior member of the military, said the move was aimed at preventing arms and drugs smuggling as well blocking Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah ⁠or other militants from infiltrating Syria.

A Syrian officer told Reuters that ‌military formations from several Syrian army divisions, including ‌the 52nd and 84th Divisions, have expanded their presence along the border in western Homs countryside and ‌south of Tartus.

The reinforcements include infantry units, armored vehicles and short-range Grad and ‌Katyusha rocket launchers, the official said.

The Syrian security official said Damascus had no plans for military action against any neighboring country. “But Syria is prepared to deal with any security threat to itself or its partners,” he said.

Still, the move has fueled concern among some European and Lebanese officials ‌over a possible incursion.

The Syrian military officers vehemently denied any such plans, saying Syria wants balanced relations with its neighbor after ⁠decades of strained ⁠ties linked to Syria's outsized influence in Lebanon and Hezbollah's support for the former government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a 14-year civil war.

Syria had troops stationed in Lebanon from 1976 until 2005 including during Lebanon's civil war that ended in 1990.

Hezbollah resumed firing at Israel on Monday more than a year after reaching a ceasefire to a months-long war in 2024. Since that ceasefire, Israel continued near-daily strikes.

Israel this week ordered much of Lebanon's south evacuated, with tens of thousands of people displaced. Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon's South and southern Beirut have killed dozens and prompted thousands of people to flee towards Syria.

A senior Lebanese security official said Syrian authorities told Beirut that Syria's deployment of rocket launchers along the mountains that form Lebanon's eastern border with Syria was a “defensive measure against any action or attack that Hezbollah might launch against Syria."

Arab World

Lebanon: Hezbollah Ban Faces Legal, Security Test

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a joint press conference with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, not pictured, at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a joint press conference with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, not pictured, at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
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Lebanon: Hezbollah Ban Faces Legal, Security Test

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a joint press conference with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, not pictured, at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a joint press conference with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, not pictured, at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Lebanon’s government has entered a decisive test phase after banning the military and security activities of Hezbollah, a move President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday described as “sovereign and final, with no turning back,” despite open rejection from the group and rising domestic pressure for swift enforcement.

Aoun said the Lebanese army and security forces had been tasked with implementing the decision across all Lebanese territory. The judiciary has begun pursuing those responsible for launching rockets from Lebanon.

Calls are mounting for the move to go further, extending to everything linked to Hezbollah militarily, politically and financially.

Israel announced on Tuesday "broad-scale strikes" against Hezbollah after the group fired missiles on Israel to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes on Saturday.

Ministerial sources said implementation of the decision targeting Hezbollah’s military wing is underway, adding that enforcement now covers all armed manifestations of any kind across Lebanon. Previous discussions had focused only on areas south and north of the Litani River.

A judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that authorities had identified the missile launch site, specifically north of the Litani, and were tracking those behind the attack. Their names and identities have not yet been determined, the source said, although their affiliation is known.

Hezbollah rejected what it called the government’s “reckless decision.”

The head of its parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammed Raad, in a statement issued hours after reports indicated he had been assassinated in an Israeli strike on Monday, described it as a “decision to ban the rejection of aggression,” accusing the government of failing to carry out the “decision of war and peace.”

Criminal prosecutions and administrative action

Constitutional expert Dr. Saeed Malek said the government’s move “does not become fully effective unless followed by implementing decrees and measures issued by the competent ministries.”

Declaring a ban, he said, effectively places the party’s military and security wings outside the law, with all the consequences that entails.

Malek told Asharq Al-Awsat that the decision requires immediate criminal prosecutions before the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation on charges including crimes against state security, forming an association aimed at undermining state authority, membership in an illegal armed organization, possession of military weapons without a license, and exposing Lebanon to hostile acts outside state authority.

These steps could lead to arrest warrants, travel bans and precautionary measures in line with legal procedures.

He said the move also requires administrative action by the Interior Ministry, including dissolving and closing headquarters and offices affiliated with the military and security wings, withdrawing licenses from linked associations and bodies, revoking the legal status of entities operating for their benefit directly or indirectly, and banning any related organizational activity under any name.

Administrative, political and financial impact

Implementation extends to the administrative and political spheres, Malek said, by treating affiliation with wings deemed outside the law as a legal obstacle to holding public office, running for elections or occupying ministerial and administrative posts, subject to due judicial process.

Financially, he said, it requires assigning Banque du Liban and the Special Investigation Commission to freeze accounts and assets, block any direct or indirect financing, subject linked individuals to special financial scrutiny when illicit funding is suspected, and bar any contracting or support from public institutions, municipalities and official bodies.

Pressure to move fast

Political pressure to enforce the decision immediately is intensifying.

Sami Gemayel, head of the Kataeb Party and an MP, said after meeting Aoun that while the decisions were “historic,” the real test lay in implementation.

Gemayel demanded that all military and security forces be placed at the disposal of the judiciary to enforce the decisions by force; otherwise, these judicial decisions remain without follow-up.

“The test is mobilizing all state capabilities to implement the decision, starting with arresting any Hezbollah security cell that may move in the coming period,” he said.

He called for activating army intelligence to monitor any such cells.

Lebanese Forces party chief Samir Geagea urged security and judicial authorities to take immediate, clear, practical steps to enforce the decision, warning of the dangerous consequences of hesitation.

MP Michel Moawad, after meeting Aoun, said “the state has effectively begun initial steps,” citing the arrest of individuals and the dismantling of some weapons depots.

Former MP Fares Soaid questioned whether arrest warrants in absentia should be issued against party leaders if rocket launches continue. MP Fadi Karam said there could be no state or stability under “consensual security,” urging security and judicial authorities to assume their responsibilities.