WWM has an occasional diary from a church leader still in Aleppo, the Syrian city that’s now a key battleground between rebels and President Assad’s forces. Recently, however, Pastor Samuel* visited Beirut in neighboring Lebanon to meet some of that country’s 1 million Syrian refugees. This is his edited account:
Beirut is one of the most expensive cities in the world; whenever I visit, I make it one of my duties to meet with Syrian refugees, especially families who left Aleppo. It is not easy meeting them when I know they’ve had to leave behind a decent life where they had jobs, owned their own apartments, and were serving in the church and their communities.
Now, most of them say things like “Pastor, look at us. See where we are now and how we lived before. Will we ever live again in golden days?” Many have shared sentiments such as “the best solution is to leave the region. Leave and forget these countries; leave the Middle East and live a decent life in Europe.” They feel they have had enough suffering.
During my time with the refugees in Beirut, I heard stories of how poorly they’re being treated.
Beirut Rents Doubled for Syrian Refugees
Unfortunately, many Lebanese view Syrians as second-class citizens and have not welcomed them. The refugees I met rent small one- or two-bedroom apartments, for which they pay almost double the rent paid by locals. They’re being taken advantage of.
Syrians who’ve been fortunate enough to find work often work long hours for little pay. I’ve heard that even some Lebanese Christians seem to be encouraging this injustice.
I met a young university accountancy graduate. He told me: “For days and days I searched for work. Most employers said they had nothing for me, but I kept on searching and finally found a job in a shop selling metal. One day I was ill and had to stay at home in bed. When I called my boss to say I could not come, he just said that I should try to find another job.” He’s now depressed because of the humiliation. Plus, he worked a 10-hour day for half a normal Lebanese salary.
Integration problems
More than a million Syrians live in Lebanon as refugees; some there for almost four years. Integration is a big problem, according to several I spoke to, even though they share the same language and there are historical and family ties.
Some Lebanese accuse Syrians of many things: “Your Syrian government ruled our country for more than 25 years, now it’s your turn to feel what that’s like.”
“We in Lebanon were jobless. Now, you have come here and are taking our jobs. You’re doing every kind of work for at least half the salary.”
“Every item in the market is very expensive because of you Syrians.”
A 15-year-old student told me: “During one of my Geography classes, the teacher talked about the water issue in Lebanon. He showed us the rivers of Lebanon on the map, and told us about the richness of the country because of the mineral water. But then he said that because of the Syrian refugees the country now has a shortage of drinking water. The students turned their heads towards us Syrians, and looked at me as if I was the one causing the shortage.”
Lebanese Law Bans Casual Work for Refugees
The Lebanese government issued a law earlier this year that prevents Syrians entering Lebanon as refugees unless they have special status, are officially invited by a Lebanese organization, or by a Lebanese citizen prepared to pay their taxes. Syrians are no longer allowed to have an official job in Lebanon, which means they can’t hold a work permit.
Syrians need to keep renewing their visa to stay in Lebanon, which means paying a lot of money. When they renew their rental contract every couple of months they usually find their landlord has put the costs up.
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