The Lebanese General Security has decided to independently compile a database of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, no longer waiting for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to comply with repeated government requests for detailed data. All Syrians in the country will now be required to report to General Security centers to verify their status and entry date into Lebanon.

General Security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the UNHCR had ample time to provide the requested data but failed to comply, citing various excuses.

"We believe they are under international pressure," the sources said.

As a result, General Security will establish centers across Lebanon where Syrians must present documents proving their entry date. This step aims to differentiate those who entered before 2015, when the Lebanese government allowed refugee entry and registration, from those who entered after the registration halt.

A central facility will be set up in Damour to consolidate this data. Subsequently, authorities will deport Syrians who entered Lebanon after 2015 without a work permit or official residency. This measure could potentially halve the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon.

In December, after months of requests, General Security received a database from the UNHCR listing 1,486,000 refugees. However, this data lacked classification or specific entry dates. The Lebanese government has since renewed its demand for detailed data to determine the legal status of every Syrian in the country.

UNHCR spokeswoman in Lebanon, Lisa Abou Khaled, responded to allegations of non-compliance, affirming that discussions with General Security are ongoing. She noted a recent meeting to discuss the government’s new request for personal data on Syrian refugees, describing it as part of the standard process aligned with international data protection principles.

Abou Khaled emphasized that the UNHCR supports Lebanon while upholding its international obligations concerning data protection and refugee law. "Handling personal data is integral to the UNHCR’s mandate to provide international protection and humanitarian assistance to forcibly displaced individuals," she told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Since 2011, Syrian refugees have entered Lebanon through both legal and illegal crossings, spreading across camps and rented apartments in most Lebanese regions, making it extremely difficult for authorities to compile an accurate database.

Over the past 12 years, hundreds of Lebanese villages and towns have hosted hundreds of thousands of refugees. However, the financial crisis that erupted in 2019 has exacerbated tensions between the host Lebanese community and the Syrian refugees, leading to numerous security incidents last summer.

Acting General Security Director General, Major General Elias Bayssari, estimates that there are 2.1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, making up 43 percent of the population.