The Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi has requested governors to instruct the municipal mayors in villages without municipalities where Syrian displaced persons reside to launch a national survey to count and register these individuals. This initiative aims to gather information on all Syrian displaced persons living in their areas, considering the current circumstances affecting the country and prioritizing national interests.
Additionally, all mayors are instructed not to process any transactions or provide any certificates for Syrian displaced persons without evidence of their registration. Furthermore, it is emphasized not to lease any property to a Syrian displaced person before confirming their registration with the municipality and ensuring they have legal residency in Lebanon. A field survey of all institutions and freelance workers operated by Syrian displaced persons will also be conducted to verify their legal licenses.
Mawlawi has sent a letter to the Ministry of Justice, hoping to issue a directive to all notaries not to notarize any documents or contracts for Syrian displaced persons without a document proving their registration in the municipality.
He has also reached out to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, hoping for cooperation in closing the files of Syrian displaced persons who return to their home country voluntarily and notifying the UN Commission that their files should not be reopened even if they re-enter Lebanon. Additionally, it is important to inform Syrian displaced persons that their refugee paper does not constitute residency and to provide the General Directorate of General Security with detailed data on the Syrian displaced population.
For his part, Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib welcomed Italian Ambassador to Lebanon Nicoletta Bombardieri, discussing bilateral relations, the Brussels Conference, and the issue of displaced persons. In the afternoon, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri received the acting director-general of General Security, Brigadier Elias Beery, to review the overall situation, particularly the security conditions. It is noteworthy that the Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati had previously issued a decision assigning Beery to follow up on the issue of the return of Syrian displaced persons.
