No love for you: Lebanon forces Syria students to 'swear off relationships with local women'

Lebanese authorities have come under fire after it emerged that Syrian students have been made to sign contracts promising not to have relationships with local women.

Lebanese authorities have come under fire after it emerged that Syrian students have been made to sign contracts promising not to have relationships with local women, local media reported.

Lebanese rights group Legal Agenda on Thursday published images of the pledges issued by the country's general security agency.

"I, the signatory, who is Syrian, declare it is my civil and criminal responsibility to not currently have a relationship or any kind of binding association with a Lebanese woman," one document reads.

"I promise to not marry a Lebanese woman during my studies and residence in Lebanon," it adds.

A Syrian student told the rights group that he was made to sign one of the contracts before he was allowed to begin studying in the country.

Lebanon, a country of four million, hosts just under a million Syrians who have sought refuge from the war raging in their neighbouring homeland since 2011.

A source at the General Security Directorate told local newspaper The Daily Star that foreign students of religion have been made to sign such contracts since 2003.

"There are some [people] who would marry a Lebanese woman so they can receive permanent residence, and then they divorce, and they remain permanent residents," the source said.

He added that the procedure was applied to religion students of all nationalities.

The report has angered some social media commentators, who have accused Lebanese authorities of "institutionalised racism" against Syrian refugees.

Many Lebanese hold deeply rooted prejudices towards Syrians, some as a legacy of the Syrian army's nearly 30-year presence in the country. For others it is said to be out of fear refugees will take lower-income jobs and put people out of work.

Lebanese authorities have been harshly criticised in the past of requiring female foreign domestic workers to sign similar pledges, promising not to marry Lebanese men.