Lebanon is not a party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugee or its 1967 Protocol and does not have a dedicated legal framework in place for the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers. Refugees’ stay is generally governed by the laws that apply to foreigners. The 1962 Law Regulating Entry, Stay, and Exit from Lebanon (the 1962 Law on Entry and Exit) together with the Council of Minister’s Decree 10188 implementing the 1962 Law does not distinguish asylum-seekers and refugees from migrants. Restrictions on admission to territory, suspension of UNHCR new registrations of Syrians by the Government of Lebanon in 2015 as well as deportations, continue to impact refugees’  access to safety and protection in Lebanon.

While the majority of Syrian refugees hope to return to Syria eventually, they remain concerned about safety and security, housing and access to essential services and livelihoods inside Syria. Resettlement to third countries has been limited, with fewer refugees being resettled in recent years compared to previous periods.

Lebanon is not a party to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, nor the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. There are estimated to be tens of thousands of stateless persons in Lebanon, with the exact number difficult to ascertain. Stateless persons fall into two categories, namely (1) unregistered persons (maktoum al kayd) who are not registered with Lebanese authorities and (2) registered stateless persons (kayd al dars) whose status is considered as ‘nationality under study’ but hold special legal status in terms of residency and rights. Statelessness in Lebanon is caused by gaps in the nationality law, gender discrimination which prevents women from conferring nationality on their children with very limited exceptions, and gaps in birth registration coverage.

Stateless persons face numerous difficulties in their daily lives. These include the inability to move freely without risk of arrest and detention, restrictions in accessing public services such as healthcare and education; limited access to civil documentation and limited access to employment. Moreover, unregistered stateless persons (maktoumeen al kayd) have no record with the authorities, and children of unregistered stateless persons have no entitlement to registration at birth and are denied the basic right to an identity as provided for by the Convention on the Rights of the Child.