Survey: Lebanese 'Wary' of Syrian Refugees
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
A majority of Lebanese believe the influx of Syrian refugees in their country threatens national security, Norway's Fafo research foundation said in a report obtained on Thursday by Agence France Presse.
In the survey carried out by Fafo in late May, 900 people were interviewed across Lebanon, a country of more than four million people which now hosts around 600,000 Syrian refugees.
The findings showed that "52 percent of the respondents believe that the Syrian refugees are posing a threat to national security and stability," the survey said.
Fifty-four percent said Lebanon "should not receive more refugees" while 82 percent said refugees are taking jobs from the Lebanese and causing wages to fall.
About half of those interviewed said the Syrians were "supported financially to an unfair degree".
Many Lebanese also said they cannot trust the Syrian people, with 61 percent saying they are "not comfortable" having Syrians as close neighbors.
Sixty-seven percent -- or two in three polled -- said they are "uncomfortable sharing a meal with Syrians" and 82 percent said they would not be happy if a family member married a Syrian.
More than 90 percent of those surveyed said that the Syrian conflict "has had a negative impact on the Lebanese government's capacity to protect Lebanese citizens and govern".
The conflict that erupted in Syria in March 2011 has spilled over the border into Lebanon where supporters and opponents of the Damascus regime have clashed frequently.
The United Nations says there are about 600,000 Syrian refugees registered in Lebanon, although other independent estimates say the number could be closer to one million.
Two-thirds of those polled said the U.N. should open camps in Lebanon for Syrian refugees as it did in Jordan and Turkey.
On Wednesday, Lebanon's ambassador to the U.N., Nawaf Salam, vowed his country will keep its borders open to refugees from Syria but said the government may have to consider opening camps.
"Lebanon will not close its borders. Lebanon will not turn back any refugee," Salam said, adding however that Beirut "needs concrete international help to cope with this growing problem".
11 July 2013, 21:42
87
typical lebanese racism you SOB? We are welcoming in our land the syrians the sons of those soldiers who killed us during the civil war while lecturing us about stability while jordan, irak and turkey closed their borders.
We are the most humanitarian, the most decent people that can be. Put this in your small immigrant brain.
And yes we prefer to marry lebanese, enough problems in married couples to create new ones with dual nationality weddings.
11 July 2013, 23:42
46
Lebanon first Loooooooool. One morw time loooooool. We are the most humanitarian? What? The refugees have so far been helped by international or islamic charity and not by the lebanese state nor people. And what do you mean we prefer to marry lebanese? Almost every lebanese i know has multiple nationalities in their families. Its quite rare that lebanese prefer to marry another lebanese in my experience. Yes syrian soldiers killed us, but lebanese miltiamen killed us as well so dont mix battikh with batata. Refugees and soldiers are two diffirent things.
12 July 2013, 07:56
32
Tazafresh if ur people dont need lebanon and are helped by international organizations, let them move out of here and go to saudi. You are a non appreciative bloke who ransacks his host's house and doesn't even say thank you. Despicable entitlement attitude.
12 July 2013, 12:38
22
Ya mohammad-ca YES WE ARE RACIST AND WE ARE PROUD OF IT...just deal with it.
Do I need to remind you about your PLO friends how they paid us back in 1975 after we all opened our doors for them since 1948?
We learned our lessons from our "arab brothers" and never again will be fooled by them...now I hope this issue with the syrian refugees will be resolved soon and I dont mind prvoiding them humanitarian aids temporarily, but the minute they start carrying weapons and setting up check points all over the country then watch out for a re-run of Tal Al Zaatar!!!
11 July 2013, 21:22
24
"Sixty-seven percent -- or two in three polled -- said they are "uncomfortable sharing a meal with Syrians"
.... Amazing:)
11 July 2013, 21:44
75
Most syrians I know put their personal fork in the hommos plate and eat in a communal way which lebanese dont appreciate. We have different habits. Why is that a problem?
11 July 2013, 23:48
55
Racist fool. Trying to portray lebanese as civilized westerners and syrians as uncivilized barbarians. I swear to God, syrians are a much better and more noble people in general than what lebanese are. Nothing is more pathetic than a savage pretending he is civilized. If lebanese had been what fools like you try to portray it then there would be no need to constantly claim it as lebanese do. Rather it would be known which its not. Lebanese are racist, arrogant, hateful yet somehow fools like you wanna portray a fake image... ya habibeh. There is a reason to why so many lebanese married non-lebanese.
12 July 2013, 02:40
44
I'm guessing tazafresh is Syrian? ... I think this article is talking strictly about the Syrian refugees. I'm freinds with many Syrians, Jordanians, Palestinians, etc... All of them know how to eat in a western fashion lol.
But if ur talking about bad cleanliness habits, it's an issue of poverty.
Exept for the khalijis, they like to eat with their hands in ur plate.... I hate that!
12 July 2013, 06:55
13
I think the article is very clear. the questions were about Syrians in general...and lebanon_first who and where are these "most Syrians that you know"...remember this: birds of a feather flock together...
12 July 2013, 02:43
44
No. Because Lebanon is a small country, already hosting too many refugees... Now add this, and were at a breaking point.
Also, I'm sure u didn't find lebanese kids all over Damascus begging for money, and selling flowers...
12 July 2013, 02:45
04
Wrong picture for the article.
We are not wary of this innocent looking child. We are wary of the Criminal elements coming in under the pretense of being refugees to perform horrible deeds against our citizens and to start sparks of unrest and war in Lebanon.
Naharnet should have the sense of matching titles with appropriate photos.
12 July 2013, 02:51
03
I bet the culture of Baath has more Lebanese dead on their hands than Lebanese refugees on their soil.
12 July 2013, 11:44
21
You Arabs make me laugh you will never reach the civility of the west. Even if you are the son of a king you are only the son of a barbarian.
