Lebanon Reorganizes Its Security Relations with Damascus - Sarmad

Lebanon is adopting a new and flexible approach in its security relations with Syria, addressing the legacy of Syrian displacement and lifting security restrictions on hundreds of thousands of Syrians barred from entering Lebanon.

This move aligns with the political intersections between the two countries, despite some domestic voices in Lebanon expressing reservations about the step, which they argue may be premature and carry serious security repercussions for Lebanon’s internal stability.

According to a Lebanese security source speaking to international agencies, the General Security Directorate has begun legal procedures to annul security documents that have barred more than 600,000 Syrians from entering the country for years, allowing them to return legally under specific regulatory conditions.

The source revealed that General Security Director Major General Hassan Chkair has formed a “security-administrative” committee to review the cases of Syrians against whom security warrants restricting their entry into Lebanese territory had previously been issued, due to violations related to residency or entry into Lebanon.

The source clarified that every Syrian citizen who was prevented from returning to Lebanon due to residency violations—such as breaching the conditions of stay and remaining in Lebanon after its validity expired—or who entered clandestinely or used forged documents without their knowledge, now has their case re-examined with a view to removing their name from security restriction lists, provided the case is not linked to criminal offenses. He noted that the committee takes into account the circumstances surrounding the Syrian displacement phase in Lebanon, particularly cases of illegal entry that were not accompanied by the commission of crimes.

The source stated that the General Security has so far processed tens of thousands of cases and is close to regularizing the status of between 90,000 and 95,000 Syrians, with the number expected to gradually rise to approximately 600,000 cases following the completion of the verification process. Upon concluding the procedures, it will issue a statement outlining the new mechanism, and inform the Syrian side that individuals who had non-criminal legal issues with Lebanon are now permitted to return to Lebanese territory legally.