More must be done for Syrian refugees

The United Nations and others have expressed concern over the Lebanese government’s recent decision to bar Syrian refugees crossing the border. The aim of the new regulation, approved on New Year’s Eve, is to slow the influx of asylum seekers escaping the civil war in Syria.

There are various visa categories for Syrians coming into Lebanon – from those who can afford to resettle to those running for their lives. And then there are those who are or have been politically active. 

At the heart of the disdain at Lebanon’s decision is whether the "most vulnerable refugees" – a term employed by the United Nations - can still enter the country.

Previously, travel between the two countries was largely unrestricted, so having to get a visa first is not only a significant change but also an inconvenience that should hardly confront people migrating out of desperation.

There are an estimated one million Syrians in Lebanon, whose own population is just over four million. With this new restriction, Lebanon is telling the world that it’s running out of capacity to take in many more foreigners. 

It’s been claimed that 200,000 people have died in the Syrian conflict, which began with anti-government protests in 2011 and quickly boiled up into civil war. 

Half the Syrian population has been displaced and there is no end to the violence in sight with the extremist Islamic State militants controlling much of the country’s east, as well as a sizeable portion of Iraq.

Just last year more than 76,000 people were killed in the Syrian conflict, 18,000 of them civilians. That spike in deaths illustrated the challenges ahead for the international coalition battling the Islamic State, and how much worse the conflict will likely become before the death toll begins to fall. 

One piece of good news is that no Syrians who have fled to Lebanon will be forced to return. 

It is not clear whether Lebanon is asking for more aid and assistance, but it certainly needs all the help it can get from the international community. 

There has been much talk in local and Western capitals about the refugees’ wellbeing, but little has been done in terms of financial support.

Requiring a visa from the refugees is not the answer, but rather more aid and support for Lebanon. Unfortunately, most of the regional players are too busy carving out areas of influence for their own strategic benefit and doing far too little to address the plight of the people afflicted. 

Western countries are not out of the loop in terms of responsibility and moral obligation to the Syrian and Iraqi refugees. 

Much of their attention goes on fighting the Islamic State, but apparently not enough for the lives of civilians. The US and its allies cannot overlook the consequences of their military actions. Turkey, on Syria’s northern border, is alone showing responsibility. 

With 1.6 million displaced Syrians currently in asylum there, it has issued regulations granting Syrian refugees limited legal status, thus entitling them to basic health care and education. It is also mulling legislation to let them seek jobs. 

It might not be paradise, but the effort to make life more bearable and perhaps restore some dignity to these refugees – who have lived through some of the worst atrocities in recent memory – warrants praise and emulation.