AKIPRESS.COM - New restrictions on Syrians entering Lebanon come into force on Monday, further tightening the flow of asylum seekers trying to escape the war, reports BBC.

Previously, travel between the two countries was largely unrestricted, but now Syrians will have to obtain a visa.

It is the latest in a series of steps to stop the influx of refugees. Lebanon already hosts more than a million.

It is unclear what the rule will mean for the many Syrians already in the country and not registered as refugees.

Before now, Syrians could stay in Lebanon for up to six months automatically. Under the new measure, Syrians wanting to enter Lebanon will have to fulfil certain criteria in order to be granted a visa at the border.

There are currently more than 1.1 million registered refugees in Lebanon putting a huge strain on the country's infrastructure and resources.

The Lebanese government says the actual number of refugees in the country is about 1.6 million - equivalent to more than a third of the population.

Clearly the Lebanese government wants to reduce the flow, says Rami Khouri, Senior Fellow at the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut.

"The Lebanese are trying to figure out how to really remain helpful to Syrians in real need without destroying their own country," he told the BBC.

The influx of Syrian refugees was putting strain on water, sanitation, health, and the environment and giving rise to political concerns, he said.

In October, Lebanon's social affairs minister announced that the country would stop accepting all refugees except emergency cases, but would still allow Syrians to enter for other purposes, such as work and tourism.

The latest UNHCR figures show a total of 3.2m Syrians registered as refugees in Lebanon and elsewhere.