Syrians in Lebanon () refers to the Syrian migrant workers and, more recently, to the Syrian refugees who fled to Lebanon during the Syrian Civil War. The relationship between Lebanon and Syria includes Lebanese president's-requested aid during Lebanon's Civil War which led to a 29-year occupation of Lebanon by Syria ending in 2005. Following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, refugees began entering Lebanon in 2011.

In 2011–2016 over 1.5 million refugees from Syria settled in the neighboring country of Lebanon.

Lebanon's initial response towards the influx of refugees has been criticized as negative, with the Lebanese government leaving them undocumented and limited and attacks on Syrian refugees by Lebanese citizens which go unaddressed by authorities. Despite the strained relationship between the Syrians and Lebanese, taking into consideration only Syrian refugees, Lebanon has historically had one of the highest numbers of refugees per capita in the world, with estimates of roughly one refugee per four nationals at peak levels. The power dynamic and position of Syria and Lebanon changed drastically in such a short amount of time, it is inevitable that sentiments and prejudices prevailed despite progressions and changes in circumstance. In 2024, Lebanese leaders discussed Syrian migrant issues, considering repatriation and limiting numbers due to the escalating crisis.

Following regional developments beginning in late 2024, the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon declined significantly as large-scale returns to Syria accelerated, reducing overall figures from prior peak estimates of around 1.5 million and marking a shift in the country’s refugee dynamics.

Cumulatively, reporting from UN agencies, media sources, and Lebanese authorities indicates that several hundred thousand Syrians have left Lebanon since late 2024 through a combination of conflict-driven displacement, organized voluntary return programs, and continued cross-border movements, with some estimates placing totals in the upper hundreds of thousands.

Background While both Lebanon and Syria were under Ottoman rule until 1918, what was then known as Mount Lebanon became home to Maronite Christian and Druze minorities who immigrated from all over the region, including modern day Syria. These religious differences, as well as the relative isolation due to the mountainous terrain, accompanied with the fact that Mount Lebanon maintained a self-governing status in the Ottoman Empire, were some of the main factors that led to the division of the two countries under the French Mandate from 1923, following a period of uncertainty in the region.

After both Lebanon and Syria gained independence from the French in the 1940s, they maintained their own autonomy (although Syria did not officially recognize Lebanon's independence until 2008) until 1976 when Syria occupied Lebanon as part of the Arab Deterrent Force under the premise of resolving the dispute of the Lebanese civil war. Although Taif Accord was signed in 1989, putting an official end to the civil war, Syrian forces remained in Lebanon. Syria's role in Lebanon changed over the years of the civil war from an intervention to an occupation. After the Taif Accord was signed, Syrian forces remained in Lebanon under the justification of Israel's failure to withdraw, as per the accord. AN estimated 35,000 (by the year 2000) Syrian troops remained in Lebanon. The Syrian occupation of Lebanon lasted until 2005. During the Syrian occupation, the government under Hafez al-Assad, extending to Bashar al-Assad after 2000, the Syrian government carried out infringements of human rights, including the detention of Lebanese citizens in Syrian-occupied Lebanon without trial and torturing them without rights for legal council. In light of those who went missing during, what the Human Rights Watch described as, a "terror campaign" of censorship and fear inflicted on the Lebanese citizens, a negative sentiment to develop within the Lebanese population against Syria.

Following the end of the Syrian occupation, many Syrians have immigrated to Lebanon in search of work and better living standards. Movement between the two countries was relatively easy as an ID card was enough to cross the border.

As a result of the civil war in Syria commencing in 2011 between the government of President Bashar al‑Assad and rebel groups, refugees began entering Lebanon in large numbers, and quickly. This sudden influx of refugees has resulted in the overpopulation of existing camps and cities as well a drain on resources. This sudden and urgent circumstance led to tension between Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees. The Lebanese government did not make an attempt to account for these refugees; it instead blocked aid to them in a passive dissent to their immigration. Border crossing restrictions were issued for Syrians crossing into Lebanon, which only led to the movement of asylum seekers shifting to illegal smuggling.

Statistics

According to the UNHCR, there were over one million Syrian refugees who had been registered in Lebanon in 2016. Nevertheless, this figure is likely largely underestimated since the UNHCR has stopped registering new Syrian refugees since May 2015, and it doesn't include individuals awaiting registration. Hence, precise figures of the number of Syrian people in Lebanon don't exist currently. 2016 estimates were as high as 1,500,000 people.

As of 30 June 2024, the official distribution of registered refugees is as follows: +UNHCR Official Population DistributionLocationPopulation% of total PopulationBekaa292,34837.7%North Lebanon219,55628.3%Beirut175,81522.7%South Lebanon86,97811.2% Of the registered refugees, 53.1% are under the age of 18.

Along with Syrians, the influx of refugees due to the conflict includes 35,000 Lebanese returnees and 31,502 Palestinian refugees from Syria.

Given the estimated population of Lebanon at 5.9 million, the 1.5 million Syrian refugees make Lebanon the country with the highest number of refugees per capita – with one refugee for every four nationals. Syrian refugee statistics documented by the UNHCR were ordered to cease in 2015 by the Lebanese government, the reason behind this is uncertain.

Most Syrian refugees rent apartments, partly due to the absence of formal refugee camps. More than 80% of them rent accommodation in 1700 locations countrywide at an average price of $200 a month. The rest of them – whose percentage keeps increasing due to the deepening vulnerability – had to settle in unfinished buildings, garages, abandoned sheds, work sites and tents in informal settlements.

Chronology of the registration of Syrian refugees post 2011 The exact number of refugees is difficult to pin down, but national politicians have used the refugee question for electoral purposes, in particular in the context of the campaign for the general elections scheduled in 2018.

January 2014 – Prime Minister Najib Mikati declare that 900,000 “conflict refugees” came to Lebanon, “approaching a quarter of the population.” April 2014 – UNHCR states that Syrian refugees in Lebanon have passed the 1-million mark. May 2015 – UNHCR stops the registration of new refugees and asylum seekers. The peak number of 1.2 million then decreased to 1 million by 2017, as a share of officially registered refugees were resettled, departed or died. September 2015 – ⁣Gebran Bassil, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon, referred to refugees as a burden, arguing that the one-million figure doesn’t account for all concerned: "it's 1.5 [million Syrians] plus 500,000 Palestinians so 45–50% of the population." October 2017: Esther Pinzari, UNHCR protection officer, explained Syrian refugees total 1 million in Lebanon. The Lebanese government, in the meantime, puts the number over 1.5 million, claiming that even that number is an understatement. October 2024: According to Lebanese government statistics, more than 400,000 people - a vast majority of them Syrian - had crossed from Lebanon into Syria to escape escalating Israeli bombardment. On October 25, UNHCR released a report stating, a total of approximately 440,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 71 percent are Syrians and 29 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals. November 2024 On November 2, UNHCR released their daily report stating, a total of approximately 473,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 71 percent are Syrians and 29 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals. On November 9, UNHCR released their daily report stating, a total of approximately 528,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 70 percent are Syrians and 30 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals. On November 20, UNHCR released their daily report stating, a total of approximately 557,000 people (Lebanese, Syrians and third-country nationals) are estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon. It is estimated that 70 percent are Syrians and 30 percent are Lebanese and other country nationals.

Recent returns (2024–present)

Following the fall of the Syrian government in December 2024, returns of Syrian refugees from Lebanon increased significantly. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), approximately 379,000 to 400,000 Syrians returned from Lebanon in 2025.

Lebanese authorities reported higher figures, stating that more than 500,000 Syrians had left Lebanon in 2025, including through organized return initiatives coordinated with government agencies. In 2026, cross-border movements from Lebanon into Syria increased sharply amid renewed regional hostilities. UNHCR reported that more than 200,000 people entered Syria from Lebanon between 2 and 27 March 2026, through three official crossing points, according to Syrian authorities. By 19 May 2026, UNHCR reported that 367,291 Syrians had crossed from Lebanon into Syria since 2 March. By 10 August 2026, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that 123,620 people arriving from Lebanon had been identified across 1,163 locations in Syria, including 123,145 Syrian nationals and 475 Lebanese nationals. IOM stated that the number had peaked at 153,087 on 27 April, after which approximately 29,467 Syrian and Lebanese nationals returned to Lebanon. Separately, IOM recorded 655,720 movements into Syria through four monitored border crossings between 2 March and 10 August, approximately 98% of which involved Syrian nationals; these figures represented border-crossing movements rather than unique individuals.

Naturalization and Syrians Excessive restrictions were placed on Lebanese citizenship due to the importance of the country's demographic balance in its political operations. However, Armenian and Assyrian refugees came to Lebanon in 1915 from present-day southeastern Turkey, following the Armenian and Assyrian genocide. And when Lebanon was formed after Ottoman rule subsided, these Armenians and Assyrians were given citizenship to Lebanon. Also, under the Syrian-occupied Lebanon in 1994, the government naturalized over 154,931 foreign residents, of Palestinian (mostly Palestinian Christians) and Syrian (mostly Syrian Sunnis and Christians) descent. The purpose of these naturalization was to sway the elections to a pro-Syrian government. This allegation is based on how these new citizens were bused in to vote and displayed higher voting rates than the nationals did.