Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called upon the European Union to help find a fast and efficient solution to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, after “reaching a critical level, one which Lebanon can no longer bear.” For his part, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, stressed that the Syrian presence has heavily burdened the Lebanese people. Both held talks on Tuesday with a delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on the Mashreq, chaired by Member of Parliament Isabel Santos.
“It is no longer morally, humanly, or legally acceptable to ignore the consequences of the Syrian refugee crisis, on the Lebanese” Berri added.
The Prime Minister stated that Lebanon’s current fundamental problem, notwithstanding the political crises, revolves around the issue of Syrian refugees. “Lebanon has warmly welcomed these refugees for the past 11 years, but their presence has heavily burdened the Lebanese people, causing problems on the demographic, economic, and political level”, said the Prime Minister.
During the meeting, Mikati affirmed that he is in continuous dialogue with various European countries, as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He said he explained to them the reality of the Lebanese situation, emphasizing that the country was “no longer able to bear the amount of number of refugees, particularly in the absence of any international plan for their return.”
Moreover, Mikati informed the European delegation that the government was working on a plan that was presented by Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib at the “Supporting Syria and the Host Countries” conference held in Brussels on June 15.
On the same front, head of the Kataeb party MP Sami Gemayel met with the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon Ivo Freijsen and discussed the situation of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the role of the UNHCR in this issue.
