Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea stressed that "resolving the issue of displaced Syrians lies solely in the hands of the Lebanese government."
In a statement issued on Saturday, Geagea responded directly to the announcement made by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday, in which he stated that a government plan for resolving the crisis of displaced Syrians would be unveiled to the public at the end of April, and that he was making arrangements with the international community to this end.
According to the LF leader, this move is "a waste of time," as "under international law, Lebanon is not an asylum country, and the application of laws on its territory is a sovereign decision," which he believes is in the hands of the government.
In this sense, the solution to the problem of displaced persons "does not require discussions, neither with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, nor with agencies affiliated to the United Nations, nor with other international associations concerned with humanitarian affairs," Geagea noted.
"The resolution of the refugee question is in your hands and in the hands of your government—in accordance, at least, with the multiple circulars issued by the caretaker Minister of the Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, on this subject," he directed to Mikati.
For Geagea, "The time has come, albeit late, for the government to assume its responsibility in this area" through "the strict application" of the aforementioned circulars by the municipalities.
"The caretaker Minister of Defense, Maurice Slim, should ask the military and security departments to ensure the immediate application of these circulars," he added.
"If the government does not undertake such measures and follow them through to full execution, it will be held fully responsible for all the damage caused to Lebanon and the Lebanese; the current chaos, under the pretext of the presence of displaced Syrians, is a glaring example of this," he concluded.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/lebanon/244636"]
In a statement issued on Saturday, Geagea responded directly to the announcement made by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday, in which he stated that a government plan for resolving the crisis of displaced Syrians would be unveiled to the public at the end of April, and that he was making arrangements with the international community to this end.
According to the LF leader, this move is "a waste of time," as "under international law, Lebanon is not an asylum country, and the application of laws on its territory is a sovereign decision," which he believes is in the hands of the government.
In this sense, the solution to the problem of displaced persons "does not require discussions, neither with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, nor with agencies affiliated to the United Nations, nor with other international associations concerned with humanitarian affairs," Geagea noted.
"The resolution of the refugee question is in your hands and in the hands of your government—in accordance, at least, with the multiple circulars issued by the caretaker Minister of the Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, on this subject," he directed to Mikati.
For Geagea, "The time has come, albeit late, for the government to assume its responsibility in this area" through "the strict application" of the aforementioned circulars by the municipalities.
"The caretaker Minister of Defense, Maurice Slim, should ask the military and security departments to ensure the immediate application of these circulars," he added.
"If the government does not undertake such measures and follow them through to full execution, it will be held fully responsible for all the damage caused to Lebanon and the Lebanese; the current chaos, under the pretext of the presence of displaced Syrians, is a glaring example of this," he concluded.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/lebanon/244636"]
This Is Beirut
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