Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war more than one million Syrian refugees fled to Lebanon where the country is brought to the limits of its capacities. With a refugee population exceeding 25% of the total population, under-resourced public institutions, and an unstable security situation, Lebanon’s capacity to handle the crisis is being overstretched. The big influx of Syrian workers in the low wages sectors of the labor market is increasing the already existing unemployment problem.

The paper analyzes Lebanon’s official response to the Syrian displacement crisis with the aim of shedding light on its deficiency and sorting recommendations for developing a comprehensive national strategy to deal with this crisis that enhances reform instead of resilience.

The paper is available in English and Arabic.