Caretaker Minister of Interior and Municipalities Bassam Mawlawi issued a decree on Monday prohibiting Syrian migrants and refugees from leasing agricultural land.
The document, distributed to the various Lebanese governorates, states that the Ministry has observed a “widespread” phenomenon in “most Lebanese areas” and “territories” where Syrian migrants are engaging in “leasing agricultural lands from Lebanese individuals.”
It also mentions that “Lebanese labor law permits Syrian refugees to work in agriculture only, not to invest in land, leading to an unfair competition with Lebanese farmers.”
The document further adds that Syrian “involvement in transportation and trading of agricultural products is strongly opposed by the majority of Lebanese workers,” especially in the absence of efforts to curb these violations.
