Lebanon's domestic laws and policies do not adhere to international standards on the refugee definition. As a non-signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, Lebanon has not incorporated the Convention's refugee definition into its domestic legal framework. 

While Article 26 of the 1962 Law on Entry and Exit offers a limited pathway for asylum-seekers facing political persecution, it falls short of providing a comprehensive refugee definition aligned with international standards. Article 26 of the 1962 Law on Entry and Exit provides that any foreign national who is the subject of a prosecution or a conviction by an authority that is not Lebanese for a political crime or whose life or freedom is threatened, also for political reasons, may request political asylum in Lebanon. It provides for the definition of political crime contained in Articles 196 and 197 of the Penal Code to be taken into consideration. Article 196 defines political crimes as intentional offences committed by the perpetrator for a political motive. Political crimes also include offences committed against public and individual political rights, provided that the perpetrator was not driven by a selfish motive.