Following discussions regarding the Syrian refugees in Lebanon in the past few days, the LF Foreign Relations Department addressed the issue “from a rational and realistic perspective which reflects the truth and the highest interests of the Lebanese people, free from racism, discrimination, or hatred”.
“The crisis of the Syrians in Lebanon has turned into a distinctive existential and sovereign problem,” as mentioned in the statement. It continues to state that “today, with more than 1.5 million Syrians on Lebanese land, and 12 years into the Syrian crisis, the Lebanese people can no longer endure the loss of their economic resources, the continued demographic imbalance in their society, and the deterioration of their living conditions.”
Furthermore, the LF Foreign Relations Department addressed the question of how the refugees should return to their homeland: “the loyalists should return to areas under the regime’s control, opposition members should return to self-administered areas in northern and eastern Syria and to the liberated areas in the northwest of the country, especially after the responsible parties in these areas have declared their full readiness to receive the refugees from Lebanon.”
The statement declares that “the Lebanese state and the parties represented in the government, especially those keen on normalizing relations with the Syrian regime, bear the responsibility of deciding and organizing the return of the Syrian refugees.” It is mentioned in the statement that “Assad does not want them back; and attempts to appease and please in this matter will not be beneficial because his decision is strategic and existential. The solution lies in a serious decision made by the government.”
The Foreign Relations Department emphasized upon the “respect of international law and the principle of forced return especially for political opponents and individuals threatened by the regime, who constitute a minority. However, we also support the application of Lebanese laws in dealing with the chaotic and illegal Syrian presence.”
In conclusion, the statement contains a call on countries and organizations “that are keen and committed to human rights to either work on the return of Syrians to Damascus under Arab and international protection and to exert pressure on the Syrian regime and to hold it accountable for not taking the necessary security, legal, and administrative measures to facilitate the return, or to assist in their redistribution and refuge in Western and Arab countries capable of bearing this burden due to their vast territories and large population numbers.”
