French Member of the European Parliament Thierry Mariani sent a message warning Lebanese people about a serious issue concerning refugees. He pointed out that the European Parliament accuses one of the most welcoming populations in the world (Lebanon) of "xenophobia," and "worse still, it is calling once again for the return of Syrian refugees to Lebanese territory instead of returning them to Syria."
In a video message directed at the Lebanese, Mariani stated, "You know better than I do, as you are living it, Lebanon is on the verge of explosion under the pressure of Syrian refugees, who number two million in your country, which already has six million Lebanese. I explain this to my friends in France like this: Imagine we receive 22 million refugees in our country, and the European Union tells us, I will help you financially and keep them in your land, in your schools, and in your hospitals. The fact is that refugees have started to change the face of Lebanon and are about to explode the situation and society."
Mariani held Lebanese political parties responsible for the delay in electing a president, saying: "We can reach three conclusions: Members of the European People's Party have surrendered and betrayed their Lebanese interlocutors, who attended and wished for them to change their position regarding the issue of Syrian displaced persons. Moreover, the European Parliament will gain respect in Lebanon when it stops intervening and threatening sanctions, despite claiming to defend the sovereignty of the country. Lebanon must stop making itself a pariah of European politics."
Following this, Deputy Simon Abi Ramia responded to Mariani, stating, "We will confront all conspiratorial projects. Thank you dear @ThierryMARIANI for all your efforts in favor of the Lebanese people. The European Parliament is preparing to vote tomorrow on a decision that goes against Lebanon's interest concerning Syrian displacement. We will confront all conspiratorial projects. Lebanon's interest is above all consideration... With our European friends, we will be vigilant."
