Fleeing Syria, Palestinians find little support from their brethren in Lebanon - CSMonitor.com
▻http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2013/0803/Fleeing-Syria-Palestinians-find-little-support-from-their-brethren-in-Leb
Peu de soutien car peu de moyens.
Upon arrival at the Lebanese border, Syrian nationals are granted free six-month visas with one renewal, effectively granting them legal residency for one year. But Palestinians must purchase a five-day visa that costs $17 and can’t be extended more than 10 days, although UNRWA says that recent lobbying has prompted the government to waive this fee, at least temporarily.
After that, they must purchase renewable three-month visas for up to a year for $33 each. After one year, both the Syrian and Palestinian refugees must pay $200 for a renewable six-month visa.
Despite the many challenges their arrival poses, Richards notes that there are no reports of Palestinians either being sent back or arrested for failing to maintain the frequent visa renewals required to maintain legal status.
But stories abound of refugees, particularly Palestinians, being refused entry elsewhere – at Syria’s border with Jordan.
“It’s clear that the number of refugees is having an impact [in Lebanon], but they’re still letting them in,” she says. “Sometimes, we need to also acknowledge the positives, the small victories.”