Lebanon extends facilities for Syrians to leave, tightens labour regulation measures

The Lebanese authorities have extended the additional facilities granted to Syrians and Palestinian refugees in Syria, who wish to leave through land crossings, until June 30, 2026, without imposing fees or issuing entry denial notices against them.

On Monday, March 30, the General Directorate of General Security announced the expansion of the procedures for regulating the status of violating foreign workers, including the control and regulation of Syrian workers in Lebanon.

She explained that a large number of Syrians work for institutions and employers illegally, stressing that settling their situation has become a necessity to protect the Lebanese workforce and regulate the labor market.

The new decision includes the establishment of an integrated mechanism to control the conditions of all Syrian workers, oblige specific groups to obtain an annual work and residency permit, in coordination with the Ministry of Labor, in addition to launching a national campaign to combat violations.

The General Security also obliged all Syrians working in companies and institutions to obtain an annual work permit, announcing the suspension of receiving applications for temporary residency.

He pointed out that the delay fees will be calculated for Syrians registered as displaced persons with the United Nations who are practicing paid work, starting from the date of the expiry of their last residency.

The Directorate confirmed the acceptance of the applications of Syrians who were previously granted a one-month deadline to leave and a decision was issued against them to do so, if they wish to settle their status at the regional centers.

The General Security had previously announced additional facilities for Syrian nationals and Palestinian refugees in Syria, who wish to leave within a period of three months, including all those entering Lebanon, whether legally or illegally, without fees or fines, between July 1 and September 30, 2025.

In a related context, the United Nations indicated in a report issued on February 13 that 500,000 Syrians out of one and a half million who had been residing in Lebanon since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, have returned.

Recent weeks have witnessed new waves of returns of Syrians, against the backdrop of the military conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and the resulting casualties and displacement inside Lebanon. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also reported on March 25 that 130,000 Syrians had returned since the start of military operations on March 2.