Stop politicizing education for refugee children in Lebanon

Ahead of the upcoming new school year, local authorities and politicians in Lebanon are trying to impose discriminatory restrictions that could result in tens of thousands of refugee Children are deprived of their right to education.

On July 8, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Jaja wrote On social media, the Ministry of Education must require all students to provide identity documents to register for the 2024-25 school year, whether in public or private schools. He insisted that foreign students, including Syrian students, must have a valid residence permit to register.

At least in July and August two Town Lebanon and other countries have also issued statements requiring Syrian children to hold a valid Lebanese residence permit when attending school.

But because Red tape and Strict standards Renewal of Lebanese residence permit, Only about 20% Of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, 18 have valid residency status. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees also stopped formally registering Syrian refugees in 2015 on government orders.

In Lebanon, approximately 80% of Syrian refugee children are unregistered and undocumented and are at risk of missing out on schooling.

For years, refugees in Lebanon have been subject to a virulent anti-refugee rhetoric, with refugees blamed for the country’s ongoing crisis. Much of the blame has been directed at Lebanon’s Syrian refugee community. Estimated About 1.5 million people, and caused discriminate, Violenceand Summary Deportation.

But now, this anti-refugee policy is targeting Hundreds of thousands Syrian refugee children: education.

On August 13, 2024, Lebanese Minister of Education Abbas Halabi was interviewed by Oriental Daily Reiterate His department is dedicated to Convention on the Rights of the Childall children, regardless of nationality and status, will be enrolled in school in Lebanon.

At the beginning of the new school year, Foreign Donors Already given Major total educate In Lebanon The government should be urged to implement Halabi’s words. The Lebanese government should ensure that all children, regardless of nationality or status, have access to school and are not denied their right to an education.