Social Instability in Fragile State Context: Exploring the Dynamics Between Syrian Refugees and the Lebanese Host Community in Lebanon

Abstract

Lebanon has always been an unstable and challenging country. With or without refugees, politics in Lebanon is subject to different internal, regional, and international dynamics that affect the country’s fragile political, security, economic, and social stability. To better understand social instability in Lebanon, this article sheds light on the role of Syrian refugees in diminishing or otherwise of Lebanon’s political, security, and social stability. Taking into consideration the historical role of refugees—especially Syrians—in affecting social stability and the whole political system in an already fragile and almost failed state, the article will also rely on the existing literature on the relationships and interactions between host communities and refugees. This contribution will rely on a qualitative approach to explore the relations and drivers of tensions between Lebanese host communities and the Syrian refugees, highlighting the differences in perceptions and the main sources of strains. In particular, the article will investigate the policies and aid schemes of the international community, mainly United Nations organizations and international nongovernmental organizations, in fostering or otherwise of the tension between the Lebanese host community and the Syrian refugees.

Understanding Syrian migration in Lebanon: a methodological framework

“…Their relationship has been labelled under the social stability category, excluding a priori Syrians from Lebanese communities as two different and not communicating groups in an unstable and not cohesive environment. The massive presence of displaced in Lebanon has led to a sentiment of resentment among many Lebanese with different religious/sectarian backgrounds, leading to a politicisation of the Syrian refugee question and the promulgation of restriction policies and omission of formal and legal asylum framework ( Anouti & Enna, 2023 ). Many Lebanese are worried that the significant population of mainly Sunni Muslim refugees could jeopardise the country's fragile sectarian balance, reminiscent of Lebanon's past experiences with the 1948 and 1967 Palestinian refugee crises and their aftermath.…”