Which means that they’ll head to Europe.
Lebanon says doors closed to more Syrian refugees
Neighbor of war-torn Syria already has over one million registered refugees from civil war
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon announced on Thursday it will not accept any more refugees from neighboring war-torn Syria, except in what authorities deem to be “exceptional” cases — a move that could prevent tens of thousands of Syrians from escaping the civil war.
Information Minister Ramzi Jreij said Lebanon can simply not handle any more refugees.
The tiny Mediterranean country has 1.1 million officially registered Syrian refugees, although the number is believed to be far higher. They make up almost a quarter of the country’s population of 5 million.
The refugees have stretched the country’s already fragile infrastructure and compete with Lebanon’s poorest for low-paid jobs, causing tensions. Tens of thousands of Syrian children are out of school because there is nowhere to place them.
The Syrian refugees already in Lebanon would be encouraged to leave, said Jreij.
The government would “encourage the displaced Syrians… to return to their countries, or go to other countries, by all means,” he said.
Ninette Kelley, the UN refugee agency’s representative in Lebanon, said the country had begun restricting the entry of Syrians since August.