Action Group -Syria
The Action Group for Palestinians of Syria followed the ordeal of a Syrian-Palestinian refugee, formerly a resident of Yarmouk Camp, who recently returned from Lebanon to Syria after a 13-year absence. His difficult journey reflects the legal challenges and discrimination faced by Syrian-Palestinians in neighboring countries.
Although the refugee fled to Lebanon to escape the war in Syria, Lebanese authorities did not treat him in the same way they treat Syrian refugees. Instead, they imposed a “status regularization”system rather than granting him a regular residence permit like other nationalities. The validity of this regularization does not exceed six months. In contrast, Syrians receive a free one-year residency through the United Nations.
The refugee continued searching for a legal solution that would guarantee stability and education for his children, until he eventually managed ”” through personal connections, payments, and via one of the factions ”” to obtain a passport from the Palestinian Authority’s embassy in Lebanon. He hoped it would solve his legal problems, but Lebanese General Security refused to renew his residency again, arguing that his place of birth is Damascus, and therefore he is treated as a “Syrian-Palestinian,”not as a holder of a Palestinian Authority passport.
Faced with this pressure and the absence of legal options, the refugee decided to return to Syria despite the destruction of his home and the debts he had accumulated to secure the journey.
The shock came at the Masnaa border crossing, where a border officer refused to allow him to leave because his residency had expired, despite his possession of a Syrian ID card. After a long argument, he was referred to a superior officer who also insisted on denying him exit.
Confused and without alternatives, a staff member hinted to him about a “trick”: using the window designated for Syrian status regularization, hiding his PA passport and presenting only his Syrian ID while claiming he had entered Lebanon irregularly. He followed this advice and was finally able to leave, benefiting from the grace period announced by Lebanese General Security, extended until 31 December 2025, without fines or travel bans.
This story raises serious questions: Why are Syrian-Palestinian refugees not treated with dignity and clear legal procedures in host countries? Where is the role of the Palestinian Authority’s embassy, UNRWA, and the factions amid the daily suffering of thousands of refugees? And does the selectively issued passport have any real value at borders or before official authorities?
The Syrian-Palestinian refugee remains trapped between documents that do not protect him and passports that fail to guarantee even the most basic rights to movement and safe living
