BEIRUT — The issue of displaced Syrians in Lebanon is a hot topic, as are the related security, military, political, and even economic and environmental repercussions. The birth registration of displaced Syrians in Lebanon is currently debated by government agencies and the relevant United Nations bodies.

The issue was first raised July 13 by Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil when he received in his office at the ministry's headquarters in Beirut Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni. After the meeting, Bassil said that he refuses “the Syrian birth registrations that the UN and Lebanese government entities have been proceeding with,” noting “this is a prelude to imposing a new settlement reality in Lebanon.”

It seemed that the parties Bassil was referring to were the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs. Rashid Derbas, minister of social affairs, immediately responded, saying in a press interview the next day that his ministry is only implementing the Lebanese government’s decisions in this regard.

Derbas also explained that the birth registration of Syrian babies is exclusively handled by UNHCR, while the ministry simply oversees these procedures, stressing that the Syrians born in Lebanon are not eligible for any Lebanese benefits.