Policeman assaults Iraqi students at education ministry in Beirut, minister blames 'huge crowds'

Chaos broke out at Lebanon's Education Ministry in Beirut on Thursday after security forces apparently assaulted Iraqi students who waited to finalise paperwork.

A video published on social media showed a Lebanese man in uniform threatening the Iraqi students with what seemed to be a stanchion as he shouted at them, telling them to "move back."

It was not clear if he physically assaulted anyone.

Another man could then be seen coming out of an office yelling and even shoving some of them.

هكذا تعامل الأمن اللبناني مع الطلاب العراقيين أثناء مراجعة وزارة التربية والتعليم في #لبنان#شفق_نيوز pic.twitter.com/0IQ0i5r6b6

— شفق نيوز - shafaq news (@NewsShafaaq) March 9, 2023

The video has prompted very angry reactions from both Iraqis and Lebanese online, complaining of the policeman’s behaviour and mistreatment of the Iraqi nationals, particularly at a government department.

Some social media users said it reflected the downfall of the Lebanese state on all levels, amid the unprecedented financial and economic crisis that started in 2019, and the grave repercussions it has had on the public sector.

Lebanese authorities responded by saying situations like this take place due to a lack of staff and organisation.

"There is constant coordination with the Iraqi cultural attaché in Beirut, and sometimes chaos and problems arise as a result of the large numbers of Iraqi students who flock to the ministry, amid a lack of staff," a source at the Education Ministry told The New Arab’s sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

It stressed that these issues are being resolved.

Baghdad has reportedly sent a delegation to Lebanon to oversee complaints and other alleged violations, according to Iraqi media on Thursday.

Lebanon’s caretaker Education Minister Abbas al-Halabi blamed the huge crowd who he said blocked the entrance as soon the ministry’s doors opened at 8 am, adding that one employee who suffered from asthma fainted and fell to the ground and had to be hospitalised.

Halabi – currently mired in issues ranging from the ongoing teacher strike to corruption scandals at his ministry – thanked the Iraqi students who he said coordinated with Lebanese security forces and ministry employees and respected the procedures.

He added that ministry employees were only currently working Wednesdays and Thursdays due to a months-long public sector strike and have to deal with a huge volume of paperwork with limited time and resources.

Thousands of Iraqis graduate from Lebanese universities and visit the country every year for leisure. Despite its crisis, Beirut continues to boast some of the most prestigious schools in the region.

But the foreign students have lately complained of finding it difficult to finalise paperwork due to the public sector strike, among other hurdles.

In late 2021, a scandal emerged that thousands of Iraqi students were buying their degrees from three private and smaller universities in Lebanon, which prompted the Iraqi Education Ministry to cut off ties with them.

An investigation was opened in both countries.