Lebanon municipality imposes nightly curfew on Syrians

A municipality in Lebanon has decided to impose a nightly curfew on “foreigners and Syrians”, raising concerns about the increasing marginalisation of refugees in the country.

The Nahr Ibrahim Municipality in the coastal Byblos District yesterday issued and released a notice obliging foreigners and Syrians to abide by a curfew from 9 pm and 6 am, warning of the potential deportation of those who do not comply.

The municipality attempted to justify the curfew by stating that the ongoing “current security and health” situation in the country necessitates the restriction of “unjustified traffic and roaming movement of foreigners and Syrians” in the area’s neighbourhoods at night.

READ: Smugglers pack dead fish in Lebanon to sell in Syria

That notice also prohibits anyone who is not Lebanese from leaving their homes and even from receiving visitors within their homes at the stated times, claiming that it is for the “safety and comfort of the town’s residents.”

This comes amid increasing reports of discrimination Syrians in Lebanon have faced at the hands of authorities and civilians in recent years, exacerbated by the economic and political crises that the country faces.

The general situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has sharply deteriorated, with the UN last year revealing that approximately 90 per cent of Syrian refugee families in the country live in extreme poverty.

Reports have also shown that hundreds of refugees fled their camps following a major fire and that Syrians froze to death at the Lebanese border.

READ: Syria refugee sets himself on fire in front of UN office