The Syrian regime’s government has decided to extend the temporary suspension of the requirement for Syrian citizens to exchange $100 at border crossings with Lebanon upon entering Syria.
According to a statement issued by the government today, Tuesday, October 15, the decision to suspend the exchange of $100 or its equivalent in any foreign currency accepted exclusively by the Central Bank of Syria (CBS) for the Syrian pound by Syrian citizens and those in a similar status when entering Syrian territory through the border crossings with Lebanon is extended until the end of the current month.
On September 29, the regime’s government decided to temporarily suspend the $100 exchange requirement for one week, and this was later extended for an additional week. The decision was justified as being “in line with the emergency circumstances associated with the Israeli aggression on Lebanese territory, and the accompanying movement of people at the border crossings.”
The initial decision came about a week after the mass displacement of thousands of Lebanese and Syrians from Lebanese areas to Syria through several crossings, amid repeated complaints from many Syrians about not having the $100, which prevented them from crossing legally.
In 2020, when the regime’s government imposed the requirement, it was justified as being in the context of “serving citizens, increasing the Central Bank of Syria’s revenues, supporting the Syrian pound, and seeking to limit the black market activities outside the borders.”
The number of displaced persons from Lebanon to Syria is approximately 276,000, with 60% of them being under 18 years old, according to a report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday, October 14.
The commission mentioned that 70% of the displaced persons are Syrians, and 30% are Lebanese.
The numbers of displaced persons continue to rise with the ongoing Israeli attacks on various Lebanese areas.
These figures contrast with what was announced by Sonia Afisa, the Director of Planning and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment, who stated that the total number of arrivals from Lebanon to Syria reached about 400,000 Syrians and Lebanese.
The majority of the Lebanese displaced and returning Syrians are concentrated in Rif Dimashq governorate, followed by Homs, and then other governorates. In Rif Dimashq (Damascus countryside), the number of Syrians reached 163,000 and the number of Lebanese reached 47,000, according to the Director of the Office of Relief and International Organizations in Damascus countryside, Bassam Saada.