The Chairman of the Administration and Justice Committee, Deputy George Adwan, stated during a press conference following a session of the committee that "the session was entirely dedicated to the issue of the Syrian presence in Lebanon. All the attending deputies, representing all blocs, independents, and reformists, agreed that the Syrian presence in Lebanon requires urgent action. This intervention should occur through two pathways. The first pathway is through the government, which has so far been lacking in action. The relevant ministers, namely the Minister of Interior, Defense, and Justice, must mobilize constantly and daily with all their security, judicial, and organizational capacities to start addressing this issue according to a plan that the government should establish to first deal with closing the borders." He added: "Secondly, this presence, aside from those with legal residency due to their work as was the case before 2011, should find the best way for them to return to their homeland."
Adwan emphasized that perhaps due to the events that took place in Syria, there was an influx into Lebanon initially due to security conditions and very little related to political situations. Today, the security situation for the majority of Syrians in Lebanon has dissipated, while the primary reason for their existence is economic. Here, the role of funding from donor countries and organizations concerned with this issue comes into play. He stated that the Lebanese state must ensure that this funding stops in Lebanon and is directed towards Syria. "We assist the Syrians, but in their country, not in Lebanon. Otherwise, the outcome will be detrimental to Lebanon's sovereignty, economic situation, and demographic and security status."
He announced that "based on this reality, the Administration and Justice Committee, with the full consensus of its members, will draft a law in the near future that includes all these details and will become effective. Everyone must understand that we are a free country with its sovereignty, and all countries of the world have sovereignty which we respect. They must likewise respect Lebanese sovereignty. The first to respect Lebanese sovereignty should be the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, as their actions to date have not respected Lebanese sovereignty. All entities, citizens, and institutions must adhere to this law regarding the Syrian presence in Lebanon. Anyone who violates it will expose themselves to legal accountability and significant fines since the current chaotic situation poses a very serious danger."
He reiterated that today, this is one of the few issues on which the Lebanese people have reached a consensus, and we must take advantage of this agreement.
