Tens of thousands of Lebanese have fled to Iraq following Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah and the outbreak of conflict in southern Lebanon aimed at dismantling the group’s ability to threaten the residents of northern Israel.
Since the start of the conflict, hundreds of Lebanese refugees have crossed the Iraqi-Syrian border daily, with Iraq announcing it would welcome them. Various civil society and Shiite religious organizations in Iraq have also pledged to provide essential support.
Refugees have primarily settled in three Iraqi governorates: Karbala, a Shiite holy city south of Baghdad, as well as Diyala and Najaf.
The exact number of Lebanese refugees in Iraq remains unclear, with estimates ranging from 2,500 to over 50,000. The Red Crescent reports around 10,000 refugees, while border statistics suggest the number exceeds 50,000.
The Iraqi government has pledged to provide housing, financial assistance, free education for children, and health care for all Lebanese families, while also waiving visa requirements for them.
The Imam Hussein Shrine, a religious organization overseeing properties at Shiite holy sites, announced that it has allocated housing, apartments, and hotel rooms for 50,000 Lebanese refugees. The organization will also provide financial support, free education for children, and health care.
Social media posts from Hezbollah and the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (an Iranian-backed militia) instruct Lebanese refugees to first head to Syria, specifically to the Sayyida Zeinab area in Damascus, where they are registered and temporarily housed in hotels.
Iraq’s support is mainly directed at Lebanese Shiites and the families of Hezbollah fighters, with refugees from other sects and religions receiving little to no assistance.
An Iraqi-Syrian border officer told The Media Line that the treatment of Lebanese refugees differs based on their sect.
The Al-Qaim crossing
Iraqi Hezbollah controls the Al-Qaim crossing between Iraq and Syria, adjacent to Syria’s Al-Bukamal region. Hezbollah fighters are stationed near Iraqi border guards and customs forces. This crossing has been bombed multiple times by US forces.
Hadi al-Moussawi, overseeing refugee registration and transport, told The Media Line, “We have fully booked several hotels in Sayyida Zeinab. We receive the refugees, provide them with support, and then transport them to Iraq by large buses.”
He added, “They don’t stay in Syria for more than 24 hours. Depending on their condition, they are sent directly to one of the Iraqi cities, where they receive further assistance.”
Zainab Nasr al-Din, a Lebanese refugee now in Karbala, Iraq, told The Media Line, “I fled Beirut after the Israeli bombing. I am a medical student and have enrolled in an Iraqi university in my field of study without having to pay.”
She added, “My family—my mother, father, and six brothers—fled with me. The journey was easy, and we arrived in a private car.”
“When I arrived at the border, I wasn’t treated like the Lebanese Shiites,” Nermin, a Lebanese Druze, told The Media Line. “They let me enter Iraq without a visa, but they didn’t recognize me as a refugee.”
“I went to Erbil Governorate after hearing about a place called the Lebanese Village. I expected it to house Lebanese people, but it turned out to be a residential complex for Lebanese women working in nightclubs and bars. I now work as a waitress, earning $300 a month.”
Ali al-Husseini, a media official at the Imam Hussein Shrine, told The Media Line, “We don’t discriminate between Sunnis, Shiites, or Christians. Everyone is welcome to benefit from the services we provide to Lebanese refugees.”
He added, “We’ve prepared dozens of buildings, ready to accommodate the refugees.”
Khalil al-Qaed, a Sunni Iraqi politician, told The Media Line, “We welcome refugees in difficult circumstances, but sadly, some refugees in Iraq are still suffering.”
He added, “I’m referring to refugees displaced by the war against ISIS. We know everyone needs support, but the Shiite parties and the Imam Hussein Shrine have other motives. Most of the refugees they’ve helped are families of Hezbollah fighters.”
“We know what will happen next. They will be granted Iraqi citizenship, but it will be sect-based,” al-Qaed added.
He continued, “Hundreds of Lebanese Christian, Druze, and Sunni families have also sought refuge in Iraq, but they haven’t received the same services as the Shiite families and Hezbollah fighters’ families. They were welcomed in Baghdad and Erbil, where citizens offered support. The government only allowed them access to free hospital visits or school enrollment.”
