After the eruption of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Lebanon, Türkiye, and Jordan became key destinations for Syrians fleeing the violence in their country. Over 13 years later, millions of Syrians are still scattered across the globe. Prior to the 2024 Israeli war, the Lebanese government indicated that there are more than 2 million Syrian refugees in the country, making Lebanon the country with the highest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometer in the world.
The recent Israeli war on Lebanon has directly impacted Syrian refugees, influencing their decisions to move to safer areas within Lebanon or even back to Syria. This leads us to question whether the movement of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, either internally or externally, is voluntary or a form of forced displacement. Additionally, it prompts us to consider the effectiveness of fundamental laws for protecting refugees and the role of humanitarian actors in such complex crises. The legal, political, and humanitarian complexities shaping the internal and external movement of Syrian refugees in light of the Israeli war on Lebanon highlight the need for more adaptive refugee protection laws and humanitarian strategies that prioritize affected populations over legal status and labels.
The Plight of Syrian Refugees Before and the Israeli War
For many Syrians, Lebanon was initially seen as a safe haven from the armed conflict in Syria, while others considered it as a temporary stop before seeking refuge in more developed countries. Before the Israeli war, only 779,645 Syrian refugees were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). After 13 years from the conflict in Syria, the number of Syrian refugees has been increasing rather than decreasing. By December 2023, the Lebanese government was estimating that there are 1.5 million Syrian refugees in the country, but after five months, it turned out to be over two million Syrians in the country, revealing a 25% increase in the number of Syrians in Lebanon. Voluntary returns amongst Syrian refugees have been minimal. As per the UNHCR reports, 10,130 Syrian refugees voluntarily left Lebanon to return to Syria in 2023, compared to the 9,814 refugees who went back to their home country in 2022. In Lebanon, UNHCR leads and coordinates humanitarian activities with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and non-state actors to provide essential services and aid to Syrian refugees, such as food, education, shelter, and healthcare.
The Israeli war on Lebanon, which escalated sharply in mid-September 2024, has had devastating impacts on Syrian refugees. The Israeli attacks on Lebanon took various forms, including pagers attacks, airstrikes, and assaults through advanced missiles, causing widespread destruction across various regions in the country and resulting in civilian casualties. Syrian refugees were directly affected by these attacks. For example, in a fierce Israeli airstrike on the ancient city of Baalbek in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, a building hosting Syrian refugee workers was destroyed, killing 19 Syrian refugee workers. Additionally, other Israeli attacks on areas with heavy concentrations of Syrian refugees resulted in the death of 126 Syrians, leaving 29 wounded and 4 missing. Yet, these numbers may be underreported due to the lack of comprehensive data about this issue...