Lebanese officials announced Monday that Syrians attempting to enter the country must obtain visas.
Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk announced in a press conference that the country will not freely accept any more Syrian refugees. Previously, the displaced families could stay for up to six months.
"We have enough," Machnouk stated. "There's no capacity anymore to host more displaced."
BBC News reported that there are over one million Syrians in Lebanon, many of them displaced by the violence and persecution in the country at the hands of ISIS.
One of Machnouk's advisers, Khalil Jebara, said the government had done "all that it could" to assist the refugees.
"But it's also clear to most Lebanese that this situation cannot continue... because it will affect not only the Lebanese but finally it will affect the Syrian refugees in Lebanon if Lebanon descends into chaos," Jebara said.
Under the new provisions, Syrian refugees hoping to enter Lebanon must qualify for a visa or have a sponsor. The rules took effect immediately, and the Los Angeles Times reported large numbers of Syrians turned away at the border yesterday.
A Lebanese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that medical emergencies and extreme humanitarian cases will be allowed into the country without meeting the new provisions, but the government has not released any further clarification of these grounds for admission.
"We just want something official from the government that outlines how the system works now... so that we can continue to ensure that the most vulnerable refugees can get through," UN Refugee Agency spokesman Ron Redmond told BBC.
"The government says that will be forthcoming so we are just waiting for that - hoping we get it soon."
