33 THE FATE OF KURDISH REFUGEES Many Muslim Kurds from Mardin, similar to Syriacs and Assyrians, sought refuge in Beirut. However, unlike the former two groups, the Muslim Kurds were granted under-study cards due to concerns among the elites regarding the potential religious imbalance resulting from their naturalization. The majority of them were eventually naturalized in 1994, while only a few remain stateless and reside in neighborhoods with a strong traditional Kurdish presence. 160 STATELESS OF KURDISH ORIGINS The Kurdish community numbered around 7,000 people during the 1940s. Kurds were motivated to migrate due to economic opportunities, family ties, and political reasons, including escaping Kemalist Turkey and establishing dissident parties. In the 1950s and 1960s, a second wave of approximately 50,000 Kurds fled Syria, particularly after the el Hasaka census which resulted in many losing their Syrian citizenship. In contrast to Christians, Kurds remained stateless until the naturalization decree of 1994 when almost all of the 32,000 Kurds holding under-study cards were granted citizenship. During the civil war, Kurds were displaced from Karantina and relocated to low-income neighborhoods such as Bachoura, Basta, Zokak el Blat, Burj Abi Haidar, and Mazraa. Many Kurds acquired Turkish citizenship following Erdogan’s Interestingly, they self-identify more as Turks than as Kurds. foreign 1 2 3 policies. Box 5. The Kurds and the under-study In 1961, the Lebanese government introduced the "Unspecified Nationality" card for stateless. Children born to this category were to be granted Lebanese citizenship upon registration. Concerns about the increasing number of Kurds and their potential impact on the Lebanese population pushed authorities to replace it with under-study cards in 1962. The document served as an annually-renewable residence permit by the General Security. 1. Karantina 2. West Beirut neighborhoods of low-income 3. Mazraa and Sabra © 2023 Siren Associates. All Rights Reserved.