Lebanon has extended an exemption for Syrians and Palestinian refugees from Syria who are in irregular status in Lebanon and wish to leave through land border crossings, waiving fees and fines without issuing entry bans against them until 30 July 2026.
The decision, according to a statement issued today, Monday, 29 June, by Lebanon’s General Directorate of General Security, includes everyone who entered legally or illegally, regardless of how long they have been in violation, and wishes to leave through land border crossings.
Lebanese General Security said it would tighten the application of laws and regulations against all non-Lebanese residents in irregular status in the country.
The directorate said the extension comes “in commitment to dignified return to Syria quickly and effectively, after the reasons for displacement have ended and political and security conditions in Syria have improved,” according to its statement.
The decision came after a previous deadline granted by Lebanese authorities to Syrians and Palestinian refugees from Syria, which was set to expire on 30 June.
In a previous decision issued on 30 March, Lebanon’s General Directorate of General Security extended the settlement of the status of foreign female and male workers who violated residency regulations, as well as measures to regulate the status of Syrian labor in Lebanon.
It said Syrian workers were employed by companies, institutions, and employers illegally, noting “the need to settle the status of this category to protect Lebanese labor, regulate matters, and meet the needs of the labor market,” according to its statement.
The decision, according to the General Directorate of General Security, included regulating the status of all Syrian workers in Lebanon through an integrated regulatory mechanism for this category, ensuring the application of regulations, requiring some categories to obtain a work permit and annual residency, and launching a national campaign to suppress violations and regulate the labor market in coordination with the Ministry of Labor.
General Security required all Syrians working in Lebanon for institutions and companies, regardless of their role or category of work, to obtain annual work residency.
It also said it had stopped receiving applications to grant or renew temporary residency.
The directorate said late fees would be collected from Syrians registered as displaced persons with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees who carry out paid work, starting from the date their last residency, whether as displaced persons or under another status, expired.
369,000 Returnees to Syria
The Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs announced that 369,000 citizens had returned voluntarily through border crossings with Lebanon since the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024.
The authority said on 2 June that the number of Syrians returning from Lebanon through the Jdeidet Yabous crossing had reached 35,000 from the beginning of the year until the end of May.
It said the total number of returnees from Lebanon through various border crossings during the same period reached 150,000 citizens.
The recent period saw a surge in the number of returnees from Lebanon to Syria amid the ongoing war there between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah since 2 March.
However, the rapid pace of return seen in the first phase of the war declined, according to a report issued by the International Organization for Migration on 28 May, which said at the time that 33,887 people had returned to Lebanon since the peak of displacement.
The post Lebanon Extends Waiver for Syrians Wishing to Leave, Warns of Stricter Law Enforcement appeared first on Enab Baladi.