Lebanon’s President, Michel Aoun, on Friday called for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
He said that they could not remain in Lebanon “indefinitely’’ and urged the international community to facilitate their return in coordination with Syrian authorities by establishing safe zones.
According to a statement by the Presidential media office, Aoun made the remarks during a meeting with the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) chief, Filippo Grandi.
However, he said “Lebanon will not oblige refugees to return to their homeland in unstable security conditions.’’
According to the UNHCR, Lebanon is currently hosting 1.03 million Syrians, who fled their war-torn country since the rebellion against the regime of President Bashar Assad was launched in March, 2011.
However, the Lebanese government estimates that their number might be closer to 1.5 million.
Aoun expressed appreciation for the efforts of UNHCR in support of Syrians in Lebanon, but warned “of the negative repercussions of the presence of Syrians in Lebanon on the country’s economy.’’
For his part, Grandi said that the agency was firm on its support for Lebanon, revealing that “the UNHCR, in cooperation with other UN agencies, is discussing with Syrian authorities on the gradual return of refugees.’’
He added that the meeting with Aoun tackled the challenges posed by the presence of refugees in Lebanon and meant to locate additional sources for additional aid to Lebanon’s state institutions.
“We hope to reach a political solution as a start to restore stability in Syria and pave way for the return of refugees,’’ Grandi added.
He expressed the agency’s readiness to assist Syrians willing to return to their homeland.
Grandi later met with Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri also held talks with Grandi in the presence of the State Minister for Refugees’ Affairs, Mouein Merehbi.
Grandi said that he agreed with the prime minister that the upcoming conference in Brussels, called by the European Union, “will be a very good opportunity to reiterate the importance of supporting host countries, and in particular, Lebanon.’’ (Xinhua/NAN)
