Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Protection amidst Crises, ADMIGOV deliverable 4.3

This report describes the protection practices for displaced Syrians in Lebanon by providing a general overview of the challenges they faced through a literature review and by researching two different geographical locations: the city of Saida and the Bekaa Valley. It addresses three temporal periods that have affected the condition of displaced Syrians and the general population in Lebanon: 1. Materialization of the economic and political crises [October 17, 2019]; 2. COVID-19 and Economic Crisis [February 21, 2020]; 3. Beirut Port Explosion [August 4, 2020]. The protection of Syrians displaced in Lebanon has been investigated by focusing on three main areas: legal protection, medical protection, and accommodation. These three areas act as our entry point in our reflection on the gaps in protection measures in practice by mapping out experiences through a bottom-up approach directly from displaced Syrians themselves. Displaced Syrians' current needs and challenges are also assessed and compared with their needs when entering the country to understand protection practices when 'entering' versus 'staying'. The investigation of Lebanon's protection relies on displaced Syrians' experience on the ground. A case study approach was used as a strategy of enquiry to facilitate the study of a phenomenon that is difficult to separate from its context. Two case studies are profiled, Bar Elias and Saadnayel in Zahle, the Bekaa Governate's capital city, and the coastal city of Saida, South of Beirut. The localities selected compare two settlement typologies of Syrians displaced in Lebanon: the Informal Tented Settlement (ITS) in the agricultural valley of the Bekaa and the inhabitation of a built structure on the outskirt of a main city on the southern Lebanese coast in Saida. Our legal protection, medical care, and accommodation findings confirm the secondary literature review. The study revealed gaps in the status and legal governance framework. The change in the Lebanese law in 2014-2015 increased illegality with related smuggling, detention, maltreatment in custody, abuse, humiliation, and torture. However, participants explicitly stated they would not return to Syria, especially if it is unsafe or insecure. Instead, they seek to relocate to a third country. Moreover, their settling conditions and general quality of life didn’t improve since their arrival in Lebanon. In the Bekaa Valley, the informal tented settlements are still in precarious situations, especially in winter, and the respondents find it challenging to meet the costs of their living due to the country's critical economic situation. The overwhelming majority of respondents have expressed pessimism, stress, anxiety, and despair from difficult experiences and a general sense of hopelessness in their current conditions. A sense of hopelessness and despair characterise the critical conditions of Syrian communities displaced in Lebanon.This report is part of ADMIGOV work package 4, more information https://admigov.e