On June 25, 2024, the Sin El Fil Municipality issued a circular forcing new measures related to the presence of Syrian refugees within its jurisdiction.
The circular includes two clauses. The first one is very similar to the content of the circulars issued by other towns. However, the second clause of the circular is a new and controversial measure, and has not been adopted by any other municipality so far. This clause requires all public and private schools within the Sin El Fil Municipality not to enroll students who do not have legal residency in their schools, under the pretext of “preserving the rights of Lebanese citizens.”
This circular is part of a series of discriminatory circulars issued by local authorities, including municipalities, municipal unions, and governors, and is part of the ongoing campaign of incitement against Syrians that followed the killing of Pascal Sleiman, a prominent figure in the Lebanese Forces Party, last April.
With the issuance of these new circulars calling for the complete deprivation of Syrian students of their right to education, we cannot help but wonder how can such discriminatory measures, which essentially violate the most basic rights of Syrian refugees, and spread chaotic and illegitimate practices on the part of local authorities, could be the driving force behind organizing Syrian presence on Lebanese territory.
Read the full Policy Watch in Arabic.
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