Back to Contents Palestinian refugees from Syria During the Syria crisis, over 45,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria approached UNRWA in Lebanon for assistance, and 29,000 were still in the country at the end of 2018. Forty per cent of them were reported to be without legal residence in 2016. Palestinian refugees from Syria seeking refuge in Lebanon have experienced increasing difficulties in securing their entry and, once in the country, they often endure poor and unsafe living conditions. At the onset of the conflict in Syria, they were reportedly allowed entry into Lebanon using their Syrian ID cards or TDPRs, provided they had obtained a Syrian exit visa in advance. As of 2013, entry restrictions were imposed. Their stay has (p. 219) been conditional upon obtaining a residence permit, which became free of charge in 2017 for those who had arrived before September 2016. Progressively tighter restrictions on the entry of Palestinians into Lebanon have made legal entry extremely difficult. Those who have managed to enter the country have experienced difficulties in maintaining legal residency and accessing civil documentation, and have faced exploitation and abuse because of their socioeconomic vulnerability. While no forced returns to Syria have been documented, between May 2014 and June 2018, cases of non-readmission in Lebanon of Palestinian refugees who had attempted to return to Syria due to the poor living conditions in Lebanon were reported. Because of the severe limitations on employment in Lebanon, Palestinian refugees from Syria are highly vulnerable to poverty and food insecurity and largely dependent on aid. Those who are registered with UNRWA in Syria have access to UNRWA schools, health clinics and other services in Lebanon, representing a twenty per cent increase in the number of beneficiaries served by UNRWA, through limited means. This has given rise to further exploitation of the Palestinian workforce, including exploitation of minors. Conditions in Lebanon have led to many Palestinian refugees from Syria to attempt the arduous and hazardous journey to Europe, while others have returned to Syria, despite the uncertainty and possible dangers of the evolving situation in the country.” (Source: “Francesca P. Albanese and Lex Takkenberg/Oxford University Press, Palestinian Refugees in International Law”, May 2020, Chapter 3.3.3, Legal Status and Treatment, pp. 275-279) Legal experts, Dr. Francesca Albanese and Prof. Lex Takkenberg also wrote in their book Palestinian Refugees in International Law: “Comparatively more refugees in Lebanon than in Syria and Jordan have relatives abroad, an indication that emigration has been substantial for this refugee group. It is also a sign that more are likely to continue to leave as the situation worsens in Lebanon.” (Source: “Francesca P. Albanese and Lex Takkenberg/Oxford University Press, Palestinian Refugees in International Law”, May 2020, Chapter 3.3.2, p. 274) 1.2. How many Palestinians reside in Lebanon today? Are such figures collected by the Lebanese state? Walaa Kayyal, a researcher who lives herself as a Palestinian in Lebanon, made the following remark during an interview conducted by Asylos for this report on 31 October 2022: “I would like to mention a very deeply rooted phenomenon. The Lebanese state is afraid to disrupt the sectarian balance in the country. Therefore they do not count how many Lebanese inhabitants there are. Because if they count how many Lebanese are in the country, they have to count how many are Sunni, how many are Shiaa’, how many are Christian Maronites, how many are Christian Orthodox Etc. And they don’t want this because they don’t want to say that, for example the Sunnah is the largest group? This is why the last census that Lebanon made was in 1932, and this goes back to the French Mandate. When people were under the French Mandate, the French conducted a census for the Lebanese in order to know how many Lebanese they were, and this was before it was a free country. So you don’t have a census. And this is done on purpose, as I explained. And this also applies to the Palestinians, so Lebanon does not count how many Palestinians live in Lebanon. Therefore you can find several numbers of how many Palestinians are in Lebanon. The most used number for the number of Palestinians in Lebanon is 300 000-something. Why is this number exaggerated? Because Palestinians tend to leave the country? For example, I 1. History of Palestinians's exile to Lebanon resulting in various legal statuses for Palestinians 21