Amjad* received his order to enter compulsory military service not long after his longstanding application for a deferment was denied.
When he was given his notice period for reporting for conscription, Amjad felt that he had no choice other than to cross the border into Lebanon. So together with his newlywed wife, he fled. But because the border was closed to refugees, they had to make the crossing unofficially.
Syrian refugees in Lebanon are facing dire levels of poverty, often unable to afford the very basics – including sufficient food, clothes and medicine. But according to Lebanese law, Syrians are not recognised as refugees with rights, just mere temporary “guests”.
Before the war broke out six years ago in Syria, Amjad was a successful lawyer. But being a refugee there limits his job opportunities and freedom. Like many of their fellow Syrians, Amjad and his wife are struggling to obtain the legal residency that would grant them work permits and other basic rights.
“I used to work as a lawyer in Syria for six years,” he says. “But here in Lebanon I am restricted to few working categories according to the Lebanese law. My illegal situation also restrains the job opportunities, as all employers ask for the residency visa which I lack.”
I used to work as a lawyer in Syria for six years. But here in Lebanon I am restricted to few working categories according to the Lebanese law.
Medical troubles, exacerbated
Amjad applied for conscription exemption because he suffers from a medical condition in his right eye.
“Sometimes I lose my vision completely for hours and even for a whole day,” he says. He was born with this disease and requires periodic check-ups and eye tests as a part of his basic health routine.
As a refugee, receiving proper medical treatment is difficult.
“Each test costs me USD 250 every three months, which is a huge amount to provide here as a refugee in Lebanon,” he explains. That’s USD 1,000 every year.
An eye on Europe
Amjad has attempted to get to Europe before. Previously, he tried to flee to Turkey with his wife, mother-in-law and sister-in-law. But they didn’t succeed, and he had to spend three days in the hospital because he was beaten so badly by the Turkish authorities on the border.
Relocating to Europe will bring opportunities, Amjad believes. This is the kind of place where he would like to start a family.
“In Europe I can express my opinions freely,” he says. He also describes what he imagines European life to be: “I do believe that life will be much better and settled in Europe, where I can establish a family and will have no worries about my child’s future.”
Medical treatment is affordable in Europe, he hopes.
Resettlement: a glimpse of hope
In Lebanon, Amjad was able to register with UNHCR and was able to book an appointment at the embassy of a resettlement country. He’s now waiting to hear from them.
But it can take up to 24 months. That’s too long.
“My life is not stabilised in Lebanon,” Amjad says. The strains of the complicated financial and security circumstances in Lebanon, along with the fact that he also supports his in-laws, can be paralysing.
But he persists and has kept busy as a volunteer for Caritas, UNICEF and NRC. Not only will it add to his CV, but it will help him in his volunteering ambitions after he resettles.
When Amjad was asked about the first thing he would do in the new country he says: “I want to learn the language of the country I will be resettled in, so I can easily engage in the new society, and learn more about their traditions.”
*Names have been changed to protect their identities.