Lebanon

2. Lebanon Nowhere have the spill over effects of the overlapping domestic, regional and international war for Syria proved more devastating than in Lebanon As of winter 2017, the number of officially registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon was 1,011,366 The Lebanese government estimates that nearly half a million additional refugees are not registered with UN agencies, bringing the total to a quarter of the Lebanese population

3. The World Bank calculates that the financial and economic costs of this refugee population amounts to some $4.5 billion per year These socioeconomic and fiscal pressures compound Lebanon's security conditions. Small crimes have increased by more than 60 percent since 2011; Syrians make up 26 percent of Lebanon's prison population; and human trafficking of Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is commonplace Another consequence of the spillover from the Syrian conflict is the almost total paralysis of the political system, Source: Middle East Policy Council

4. Turkey More than 3.5 million people displaced by the violence there have sought refuge in Turkey. Their numbers, through births and new arrivals, are increasing by approximately 1,000 people per day. They join half a million more asylum seekers and refugees from other countries This has put significant strain on social and economic conditions in Turkey

5. More than 95 percent of Syrians in Turkey reside in urban centers. Kilis, which lies on the border with Syria, hosts more Syrian refugees than Turkish residents In Istanbul, there are at least 560,000 registered Syrian refugees. Zeytinburnu, a district of the city, hosts more than 50,000 of them. Today, more than 20,000 Syrian students are in Turkish universities.

6. Municipalities have been particularly innovative in their efforts to accommodate refugees by running free language courses, instituting social support programs, permitting a degree of legal flexibility for Syrians opening businesses, and in the case of at least one district, Bağcılar, encouraging Syrians to participate in advisory citizens’ councils. However, the National Governement faces difficulties in supporting Syrian refugees as it sees them as a ‘temporary’ problem

7. Despite these promising developments, enormous challenges remain. Polls illustrate that among large segments of the Turkish public, Syrian refugees are resented They are viewed as a burden, and blamed for deteriorating public services, price increases, and rising unemployment. Although the Turkish government has emphasised cultural and religious affinities with Syrian refugees, the public perceives a surprisingly large cultural and social distance This has led to social unrest on several occassions…

8. This makes it difficult for the Turkish government to be forward-leaning on a strategy for integration that acknowledges Syrians are not likely to go home any time soon. Turkey’s president, RecepTayyipErdoğan, recently justified Turkey’s military intervention into northern Syria by advocating that its aim was, in part, “to help return Syrian refugees to their homes.” He added: “they will not stay forever here.”

9. Another persistent challenge is ensuring access to education for all Syrian refugee children. A third of them remain out of school. There are also persistent reports of child labour and early marriage. Finally, there are significant challenges with respect to livelihood opportunities. In spite of legislation adopted in 2016 to facilitate access to the labour market, thus far barely 20,000 work permits have been issued. Yet, an estimated one-and-a-half million Syrians work informally, and as a result, are vulnerable to exploitation. Nearly one-third of the Turkish economy is estimated to be based on informal employment, which further complicates the picture.