Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in the caretaker government, Abdullah Bou Habib, commented during his visit to the Maronite League on the imminent danger posed by the increase in the flow of Syrian refugees to Lebanon in an illegal manner, stating that "the Lebanese government has decided to take the necessary measures to address this issue." He confirmed that "the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants is following the Syrian displacement crisis in all international and regional conferences, with accredited ambassadors in Lebanon, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees," considering that "the refugees are coming to Lebanon currently for purely economic reasons following the deterioration of conditions in Syria amid the tight blockade on their country."
Bou Habib also addressed the meeting of the Five Arab Communication Committee regarding Syria, which took place last month in Cairo. Regarding the West's stance on the return of the refugees, Minister Bou Habib pointed out that "the West insists on its policy rejecting this return due to the lack of security conditions for it." He affirmed "his ongoing communication with his Syrian counterpart to discuss the issue of the refugees," noting that "the Syrians need to implement the early recovery plan to ensure their return and the necessity of pursuing a step-by-step process."
The minister presented the negotiations conducted by the ministry with the UNHCR to reach an agreement on obtaining data related to the refugees," and confirmed that "there is a unified national position regarding the Syrian displacement crisis."
On another note, he discussed the process that accompanied the recent renewal of UNIFIL, indicating that "coordination will continue between the Lebanese Army and the UN forces in the south." Regarding the land borders, he expressed "Lebanon's readiness to finalize the issue of their demarcation with American mediation and UN sponsorship."
