Agriculture in the security zone threatened by strict entry rules for Syrians

Farmers in the border areas appealed to the government to ease restrictions on the entry of Syrians to Lebanon as this has led to a shortage in Syrian labor, after affecting the status of Syrian workers living in the country since 2000. According to As Safir newspaper, agriculture in the borderline plains relies by 90% on Syrian agricultural workers who live in tents in the open fields. One farmer, George told the newspaper that Syrian workforce have always constituted a basic pillar of the farming sector in view of its low labor cost and considerable farming expertise. The number of men and women workers, he said, ranges between 350 and 450 thousand Syrian laborers of all ages. He noted that in the past he used to bring some 50 workers through a ‘Shaweesh’ middle person and under reasonable terms. Today’s lengthy legal procedures require quite a large amount of work on the part of Lebanese sponsors. These include the payment of some LBP 300 thousand for each worker; the submission of property ownership documents; a supporting document signed by the public notary, providing a housing facility, and pledge not to register the Syrian worker as a UNHCR beneficiary. George explained to As Safir that the complicated measures have resulted in the return to Syria of nearly 80% of Syrian workers who left their farming jobs behind in the absence of an alternative. Based on the above facts, farmers have expressed their objection to the new measures in a series of protests and meetings with the concerned authorities with the declared aim of dissociating the issue of Syrian farm workers from the overall issue of refugees, while warning of dire consequences on the agriculture sector in Lebanon. (As Safir, 9 May 2015)