The Syrian Refugee crisis has exerted a severe toll on Lebanon, today the host of the highest refugee population per capita worldwide. It exacerbated the country’s already weak governance structure, dire socio-economic situation, and precarious security conditions. Amidst this reality, the Government of Lebanon has failed to adopt a consistent policy approach to manage the presence of the refugee population, leading to heightened tension in host communities and degradation of basic human rights for both the Lebanese and Syrian populations. This is happening as international actors find it increasingly difficult to put forward sustainable solutions to the crisis in the absence of a political solution in Syria, and the Syrian regime’s adamance on maintaining significant barriers to the right of return.

Kulluna Irada, a Lebanese advocacy group, wishes to organize a roundtable discussion on the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Lebanon, with a focus on the policies that guide the response to the crisis.

The event aims to:

1. Analyse the policy context around the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Lebanon and highlight the challenges and limitations of current policy approaches.
2. Propose policy actions, shared by a wide group of civil society and political actors, that uphold the rights of the refugee population on one hand, and safeguard Lebanon’s national interests on the other.
3. Discuss possible entry points and assess the feasibility of sustainable solutions, in the absence of a political solution in Syria in the near term.