{"id":5598,"date":"2022-08-12T21:04:16","date_gmt":"2022-08-13T01:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/lerrn\/?p=5598"},"modified":"2026-04-28T10:40:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:40:49","slug":"lerrn-working-paper-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/lerrn\/2022\/lerrn-working-paper-17\/","title":{"rendered":"Historical Backgrounder: Lebanon\u2019s 2014 Refugee Policy Shift"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Historical Backgrounder: Lebanon\u2019s 2014 Refugee Policy Shift\n <\/h1>\n \n \n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

Working Paper 17<\/strong><\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Zahraa Al-Ahmad<\/a>, Graduate of Carleton University, MA in Political Science<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Executive Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While Lebanon has the largest per capita refugee population in the world, Lebanon\u2019s protection of refugees has been controversial and limited. Lebanon\u2019s complex politics have created an environment for contradictory policies, leaving the international community critical of Lebanon\u2019s intentions and willingness to protect refugees. From its original contested open-border policy to the eventual crackdown on Syrian refugees, this paper offers a historical analysis of the progression of Lebanon\u2019s refugee policies to give context to current responses to refugees. Lebanon\u2019s refugee policies took a drastic turn in 2014 as the Lebanese government shifted from a policy of inaction to a more organized anti-Syrian refugee framework characterized by mass crackdowns, forced repatriation, and limited access to asylum. This paper explores how Lebanon\u2019s shift to an anti-refugee framework was strongly shaped by Lebanon\u2019s social, historical, political, and economic conditions. Some of the main factors that will be discussed include Lebanon\u2019s history of civil war and a difficult relationship with Palestinian refugees, the country\u2019s political and economic instability, and its complicated sectarian political system. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research on Lebanon\u2019s refugee policies to build a more analytical and nuanced understanding of the Lebanese response and overall refugee crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the full Working Paper here:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n
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