The mayors of the Higher Jurds - Bhamdoun and neighboring municipalities held a meeting today at the headquarters of the Union of Higher Jurds Municipalities - Bhamdoun. They discussed the security situation and the crimes resulting from it, as well as the status of Syrian refugees in the Aley region, according to a released statement. The participants condemned the horrific crime that occurred in the town of Al-Izouniya, which claimed the life of Yasser Ajaj al-Kokash, expressing their deepest condolences to his family, relatives, friends, and the people of Al-Izouniya. They called on the judiciary to impose the harshest penalties on the criminals who are currently in detention by the security forces.
The meeting resulted in the following decisions based on the circulars and decisions from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities "to organize the presence of foreigners and Syrian refugees in order to protect the rights of Lebanese citizens, foreign workers, and Syrian refugees":
- Closure of all illegal businesses and shops operated by foreigners until they regularize their legal status.
- Employing foreigners is only permitted with a work permit. Employers may not have all their employees or workers be foreigners.
- Prohibition of the movement of illegal vehicles and motorcycles, which will be confiscated and handed over to the relevant authorities.
- Only legally registered motorcycles are allowed to operate from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. under penalty of accountability. The security forces are requested to enforce this decision.
- No more than two foreign workers are allowed per room.
- No more than one foreign family (parents and their children) is allowed to reside in a single housing unit.
- Renting out entire housing units in buildings to foreigners is prohibited.
- Foreigners residing in the Higher Jurds towns are required to expedite legal regularization within a maximum period of two weeks from the date of this announcement.
- All residents of the Higher Jurds towns are asked to inform the municipalities about any current tenants.
- Property owners are requested not to rent to any new foreign arrivals before taking them to the municipality to verify their identity documents and register them in accordance with regulations; otherwise, legal actions may be taken against the owner.
- Any new foreign arrivals to the Higher Jurds towns are requested to promptly visit the municipality to declare their place of residence, work, and the legality of their entry into Lebanon under penalty of accountability.
- Lease agreements must be registered for all citizens in the municipalities.
- Residents are asked to contact the municipality or security forces if they suspect any suspicious or strange activities or if any incidents occur, and not to intervene or act individually.
The mayors also called on the Lebanese state and all its agencies to secure the borders and work on enforcing the laws regulating the circulars issued by ministries concerning foreign arrivals and workers. They urged residents to exercise wisdom, patience, and reason in these difficult and delicate circumstances while avoiding falling into traps and not succumbing to rumors aimed at inciting unrest. They asked media outlets to verify their sources and ensure accuracy in reporting the news. Furthermore, they requested residents not to harm anyone under any circumstances and to return to the security forces and municipalities for support.
