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MP Ghayath Yazbeck explained to This is Beirut the objectives of the petition prepared by the Lebanese Forces (LF) demanding the closure of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Lebanon. He also mentioned a “plan by the opposition” aimed at redistributing Syrian refugees across all Arab countries.

The announcement made on Wednesday by Yazbeck about the intention of the LF parliamentary bloc, to which he belongs, to submit a petition calling for the closure of UNHCR’s office in Lebanon, surprised many observers. While it is true that political parties and religious dignitaries unanimously warn against the growing Syrian exodus to Lebanon, which has become an “existential” danger to the country, Yazbeck’s statements stood out. Indeed, Yazbeck mentioned a concrete measure that should be taken against the UNHCR, which, according to him, has become “a High Commission aimed at promoting the new Syrian occupation.”

Yazbeck clarified to This is Beirut the objectives of the upcoming petition, which is coupled with a “plan” developed by the sovereign opposition to redistribute most of the Syrian displaced persons in Lebanon to Arab countries.

Commenting on the fact that the closure of the UNHCR office would set a precedent, he noted that the attitude of this UN body in Lebanon is also unprecedented.

The Objectives of the Petition

The Lebanese Forces are currently working on the “first draft” of this petition, which will then be discussed with opposition parties and other parliamentary blocs to seek their opinions, according to Yazbeck.

The first objective of the petition is “to remind the UNHCR that its role, in Lebanon and elsewhere, is to alleviate the suffering of refugees and help host countries bear the burden of their presence,” he said.

However, in Lebanon, “the UNHCR has completely deviated from its role by implementing a policy that contributes to attracting more refugees who are driven by financial incentives,” notes Yazbeck, who does not hesitate to accuse the UN agency of “helping a kind of settlement of these migrants.”

According to the MP, the UNHCR must understand that Lebanon can no longer bear this presence in terms of demographics, communities, security, and economy.

The second objective of the petition is to insist that Lebanon ratified a memorandum of understanding with the UNHCR in 2003, which stipulates that Lebanon “is a transit country and not a haven for the displaced.”

Setting the Record Straight

By developing the petition, the Lebanese Forces hope to make the UNHCR understand that it has “deviated from its mission” and needs to “set the record straight.”

If this message, expressed by an MP representing a large parliamentary bloc, is understood by the UN agency, it should start changing its attitude.

However, if the UNHCR continues with the same policy, the Lebanese Forces, along with other blocs that support this move, will demand the closure of its office in Beirut.

In parallel, the Lebanese Forces and their allies will continue the contacts already initiated with the European Union, the Arab League, and the United Nations, as well as with the United States and all countries concerned with the work of the UNHCR, to explain Lebanon’s position on displaced persons and the UN High Commissioner’s policy.

“We have discussed the problem with the UNHCR several times, but it continues to turn a deaf ear and practice doublespeak,” stresses Yazbeck.

The Syrian exodus has become a “Lebanese national crisis,” he said, noting that all parliamentary blocs, which disagree on many issues, are unanimous on this issue and on this “existential threat related to Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

Opposition Plan

The petition is coupled with a plan developed by the sovereign opposition, including the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb, and Al-Tajaddod. “The first proposal we will present to Arab countries, the UN, and all concerned parties is to repatriate the displaced Syrians. They can settle in vast regions and receive international assistance,” according to Yazbeck.

The second proposal is based on the fact that Lebanon is “a transit country and not a haven,” in accordance with the memorandum signed with the UNHCR. Therefore, the displaced persons should be distributed throughout all Arab countries.

“The resident Lebanese population is nearly five million, and it hosts some 2.4 million Syrians, a figure equivalent to 50% of the population,” according to Yazbeck. A host country should not accept refugees that exceed 1% to 2% of its population, he stresses. He adds, “The UNHCR, which has the ability and duty to redistribute refugees that a host country can no longer accommodate, should contact neighboring countries and send these displaced persons there, distributing them according to the area, economic situation, and number of inhabitants of each of these countries.”

The Other Side of the Mediterranean

Yazbeck emphasizes that on the day when Lebanon can no longer bear the pressure caused by the Syrian presence and control their attempts to leave by sea, Europe will face “the exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees coming from the other side of the Mediterranean.”

However, he clarifies that his remarks do not match those of Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who recently suggested that Lebanon open its maritime border to refugees to embark for Europe to force it to negotiate on this issue. “My remarks are contrary to his,” says Yazbeck. “I am explaining that if the parties concerned do not help us alleviate the burden, they will increase the pressure on Lebanon. I am not making threats; I am warning that the Lebanese authorities may no longer be able to prevent Syrians from leaving by sea. Hassan Nasrallah, on the other hand, threatened and made militant statements, and I refuse that Lebanon behaves this way with its neighbors.”