The chairman of the Parliament’s Administration and Justice Committee, LF MP Georges Adwan, refuted on Wednesday the US State Department’s claims on displaced Syrians in Lebanon which state that their “conditions are not favorable for their return to their homeland.”
He pointed out, during a press conference after the Parliament’s Administration and Justice Committee session, that “these statements are not accurate, and we do not accept them.” Adwan said that if these conditions are indeed unfavorable, these officials could host Syrian refugees in their own country or assist them in Syria.
He stressed that if they continue their aid to Syrians in Lebanon, it will lead to economic, security, social and demographic problems. “We can no longer bear this issue,” he said.
The chairman of the Administration and Justice Committee relayed the practical matters they discussed during the session and requested from the government the details of the Minister of Interior’s signature of a memorandum back in 2016 with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) granting housing certificates to Syrians in Lebanon, which they should “immediately suspend and cancel all previous housing certificates.”
“We consider the only relevant agreement to be the one signed in 2003 with the Lebanese General Security, an official agreement that designates Lebanon as a transit country, not a refuge,” he said.
Adwan revealed that “the committee is working on laws that will tighten sanctions against anyone employing or housing Syrians without a work permit. Here, we will emphasize that any mayor or government employee who issues false certificates allowing the acquisition of legal documents will be subject to strict penalties. All of this will be translated into legislative proposals to tighten sanctions.”
Concerning the funding of associations that suddenly “sprouted” and now reach the number of 9,000, Adwan emphasized that “they all must be subject to legal and regulatory controls. The issue of funding for Syrians in Lebanon must stop, a stance we declare publicly without any hesitation.”
In conclusion, he said, “This issue is a national matter, and the security agencies and the judiciary must fulfill their roles, with the absolute priority being the government’s responsibility.”
