BEIRUT: Insults, attacks and curfews have become commonplace experiences for some Syrian war refugees in Lebanon, with rights watchdogs saying the community faces growing discrimination.
In many parts of the country, it is no longer unusual to see posters prohibiting “foreigners” — understood to mean Syrians — from being outside after 8pm.
And both Lebanese and Syrians report witnessing harsh treatment of Syrians or even attacks against them, including by municipal guards who at times enforce the curfews.
Human Rights Watch, a New-York based group, has identified at least 45 municipalities in the country that have imposed curfews on Syrian refugees.
In a new report on Friday it called for an end to practices “that feed into a climate of discrimination against and stereotyping of Syrians in Lebanon.”
Even before the flood of war refugees, Syrian workers in Lebanon were often treated with a mixture of condescension or mistrust, in part a legacy of resentment over Syria’s 30-year military presence in Lebanon.
But the situation has deteriorated since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, with more than a million refugees flooding into Lebanon, which is profoundly divided between those who back President Bashar Al Assad and those who support the uprising against him.
The influx has placed new pressure on already scarce resources, and created resentment against Syrians in some places.
Some Lebanese justify the measures taken against Syrians, accusing refugees of crime, and urging them to “go home”.
“There must be limits for Syrians,” one local official in the Mount Lebanon region said on condition of anonymity.
“They take jobs from the Lebanese. It’s not that bad if we teach them a lesson now and again,” he said.
AFP
