Syrians entering Lebanon face new restrictions

BEIRUT, Jan 5 (agencies): New restrictions on Syrians entering Lebanon have come into effect, further slowing the flow of asylum seekers trying to escape the war.

Previously, travel between the two countries was largely unrestricted, but now Syrians will have to obtain a visa.

Lebanon hosts more than a million Syrian refugees and this is the latest step to try to stem the influx.

Millions of Syrians have been displaced by the civil war as rebel forces try to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

The uprising began with protests against his rule in 2011 and degenerated into civil war a year later. The rise of Islamist groups has added to the refugee problem.

Lebanon, which shares a border with Syria, is one of the countries most affected by the large numbers of refugees.

Before now, Syrians could stay in Lebanon for up to six months automatically. Under the new measure, Syrians wanting to enter Lebanon will have to fulfil certain criteria in order to be granted a visa at the border.

It is unclear what the rule will mean for the many Syrians already in the country and not registered as refugees.

The visa restrictions are the first in the history of the two countries and come as Lebanon struggles to deal with more than 1.1 million Syrian refugees.

The influx has tested the limited resources of the country, as well as the patience of its citizens, particularly in the wake of deteriorating security in areas like Arsal, a border town in eastern Lebanon hosting tens of thousands of refugees.

For months, Lebanon's government has sounded the alarm, warning the international community that it could no longer deal with the influx.

In October, Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas announced that Lebanon "no longer officially receives any displaced Syrians," with exceptions on humanitarian grounds only.

Khalil Jebara, adviser to Lebanon's interior minister, said the country would continue to provide humanitarian exceptions, but that restrictions were needed.

Unlike Jordan and Turkey, Lebanon declined to create refugee camps, meaning refugees are dispersed throughout the country.