New visa rules to limit Syrian refugees from entering Lebanon

Today marks the day where new restrictions come into force for Syrian refugees.

The unprecedented move by the Lebanese government means that Syrian refugees will have to fulfil certain criteria in order to be given a visa and enter the country. Before this move, Syrians were automatically allowed to stay in Lebanon for up to six months 

This step is aimed to curb the influx of refugees into the country, with the registered refugee population standing at a whopping 1.1 million. There are a further 300,000 unregistered refugees who will be greatly effected by these measures. It is in fact unclear, exactly what these new restrictions will mean for Syrians already in the country and for unregistered refugees.

The United Nations High Commissioner for refugees has expressed concern at the lack of clarity of these new rules.