New figures released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reveal the numbers of legal and illegal Syrians in Lebanon. A report by the Emirati platform "Blinks" states that "according to government estimates, the number of Syrian displaced persons in Lebanon reaches 1.5 million," as noted on the UNHCR's website. In contrast, the Lebanese General Security claims that "the number of displaced persons is 2 million and 100 thousand, which is equivalent to 43% of the country's population," according to the report.
The "Blinks" report reveals that "by December 2023, it has been shown that 20% of Syrians aged 15 and over in Lebanon have legal residency, meaning that only 300,000 Syrians are considered 'legal' out of the 1.5 million displaced as stated by the UNHCR." It adds: "If we rely on the number of displaced persons mentioned by General Security, the number of legal residents would be 420,000, which is 20% of the total of 2 million and 100 thousand."
Furthermore, the report states: "The mentioned figures reveal that more than one million Syrians in Lebanon are living without official residency. Out of 1.5 million, there are 1 million and 200 thousand Syrians residing illegally in Lebanon. If we consider the total of 2 million and 100 thousand displaced persons, then there are 1 million and 680 thousand living in Lebanon unlawfully."
The report also notes that "in the last three years, the rate of legal residencies has increased more than before, according to the UNHCR. It has been shown that 70% of Syrian families in Lebanon do not have legal residencies, whereas 9% of Syrian families have legal residency, and this rate has remained consistent since 2019, as stated by the UNHCR."
