Social Affairs Minister Rasheed Derbas announced that the ministerial committee formed to deal with the affairs of Syrian refugees in Lebanon decided on four initial steps to confront the crisis.
“The ministerial committee studied procedures to limit Syrian displacement to Lebanon and made [a number of] decisions,” Derbas said Monday after a two hour meeting of the committee, led by Prime Minister Tammam Salam.
“First: Linking the acceptance of ‘displaced’ Syrians [entering Lebanon] to the existence of military engagements in areas close to the Lebanese border.”
“Second: Removal of ‘displaced’ status for those who exit from Lebanon [and enter] Syria.”
“Third: Follow-up by the Minister of Social Affairs on the topic of [displaced Syrians] residing in Lebanon and those [of them] who hold ‘displaced’ persons’ cards [illegally].”
“Fourth: Initiation of the necessary procedures to provided suitable conditions for setting up secure camps inside Syria or in isolated areas on the Lebanese-Syrian border.”
Derbas added that although the plan was announced on Monday, it officially began implementation on Sunday, June 1.
“Especially with regard to removal of 'displaced' status from those who go to Syria,” he explained.
The majority of Syrian refugees live in small camps scattered across Lebanon, particularly in the border regions of Akkar and Beqaa in the north and east. The UNHCR has placed their numbers at 1.1 million, though the Lebanese government, which refers to refugees as “displaced”, estimates the figure to be much higher.
Lebanon is not a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees, and leaders across the political spectrum have called for initiatives to control the number of new arrivals, maintaining that the country’s weak economy lacks the capacity to support them.
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