The President of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, confirmed during a press conference held in Maarab that "Syrian displacement constitutes an existential threat to Lebanon, alongside the escalation of crimes, financial losses, and other phenomena." He reminded that "Lebanon is a transit country and not a country of refuge, and the agreement made between the Lebanese state and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2003 organized Lebanon's relationship with the commission and its relation to Syrian displacement, stipulating that they would be hosted for one year before being resettled in a third country."
Geagea emphasized that "everything he proposes has nothing to do with the Syrian people, who are neighbors and have relations with the Lebanese; our relationship with them is different from that with the Syrian regime. What I will say does not stem from sensitivity, hatred, or certain events, although certain events sometimes suggest that they reflect the existence of a bigger problem for us." He pointed out that the Lebanese Forces were "the first to sympathize with the Syrian people when their revolution began, particularly since it was with the genuine revolution and not with the hijacking of the revolution by extremist organizations that took it elsewhere." He stressed that "the Syrian people have greatly suffered in this century, but this issue and the issue of displacement are entirely different matters."
He also stated that "countries have constants and laws. For example, America was once the homeland of Native Americans, European immigrants came and settled there; today it is primarily the homeland of white Europeans, while the indigenous peoples in America have become minorities here and there. Those who do not pay attention to their country may become a refugee in it in the blink of an eye." He noted that "between 40% and 45% of the Syrians in Lebanon are residing illegally, and we are surprised how we are given lessons in humanity. In France, the percentage of refugees is around 0.7%, while we have between 40% and 50%, whereas the largest country in the world may have a refugee percentage of up to 2%."
Geagea added, "On the other hand, we have spent 13 years under the dilemma of Syrian displacement. Can anyone say there is a horizon for a solution to the Syrian crisis? If we sensed that there was a solution, we would say it is a resolved crisis. But simply, I declare that the Syrian crisis needs another 13 years. By then, the Syrian refugees will have a vested right in the land, and it is expected that their number will reach 4 million, which equals the number of Lebanese. Consequently, 'God loves the doers of good, and we had a country called Lebanon.' There is no doubt that successive events and crimes have made us question this issue and its repercussions, but the essence lies in the fact that no nation can bear another nation of equal numbers within its borders, especially given Lebanon's situation."
He stressed that "the threat is existential alongside various phenomena, including rising crime, financial losses, and more. No matter how bad the situation in Lebanon is, it remains better than the situation in Syria; hence, the Syrian citizen always prefers to stay here. The Lebanese people have not left anything they can do for Syrians without doing it," adding, "No matter how much aid reaches Lebanon, it is nothing compared to the cost Lebanon has paid and continues to pay in various living aspects. Here, I recall international law, which stipulates that Lebanon is not a country of asylum but a transit country, and it did not participate in the refugees' agreement based on its size and composition. On October 30, 2003, an agreement was made between the Lebanese state and the UNHCR, organizing Lebanon's relationship with the commission and its relation to Syrian displacement, which stipulated hosting them for one year, after which they should be resettled in a third country or returned."
Geagea noted that "up to now, we have spent 13 years and have done much more than our duty toward Syrian refugees. Those who have residency have a legal status, while those without official papers are in an illegal status. Any Lebanese citizen is entitled to file a lawsuit against the UNHCR for granting refugee status to someone who is not a refugee. Some are waiting for the international community's opinion; there is a question: 'Is this country called Lebanon or is it called the international community?'"
He pointed out that "all Syrians in Lebanon, except for 300,000 who have residency, are illegal and their presence is illegal, so they must comply with the law of leaving Lebanon. This is how it is handled in all countries of the world; i.e., a foreign citizen without residency or a visa is deported to their country. This issue should be addressed according to Law 1962, which is clear in stating the deportation of those without residency, and the deportation decision is an administrative decision taken by the General Security without needing a judicial decision; thus, the argument of those demanding a political decision to implement the law collapses."
Geagea emphasized that "many officials in the state have forgotten that they are responsible, and 'God has concealed' that no regional party has noticed the arming of Syrian refugees, who outnumber all security forces combined; what do we do then?" He mentioned that he had "contacted Prime Minister Najib Mikati several times, as well as the Minister of Interior Judge Bassam Mawlawi, and they confirmed that they would work to resolve this issue; the political responsibility rests on them to follow up with the security apparatuses to fulfill their duties." He noted that "the General Security bears a significant responsibility as it is in charge of this file, and the deportation decision is an administrative decision made by this body. It is also the responsibility of the army and security forces to hand over to General Security any violator, and municipalities are responsible for enforcing the laws within their jurisdiction."
He mentioned that the Minister of Interior issued a series of circulars regulating the Syrian presence, but they were not followed up adequately with the governors. He cited the example of what MP Strida Geagea did, who acted as Prime Minister and Minister of Interior with the mayors in the Basharri district to ensure compliance with these circulars, leading to regularization; a similar situation exists in other areas under Forces influence.
Geagea urged municipalities to "fully implement the Minister of Interior's circulars until the situation returns to normal, alongside cooperation between the security apparatuses to address this existential crisis. He confirmed, 'We will not remain silent about this issue any longer,' and requested that the heads of federations in various regions implement Minister Mawlawi's directives to the end, expressing the party's readiness 'to provide volunteers where municipal police are insufficient to assist them, but we will not remain silent regarding any shortcoming by Prime Minister Mikati, Minister Mawlawi, heads of municipal federations, nor even mayors.'"
In response to a question regarding the possibility of addressing Syrian displacement, he responded: "'Enough means enough,' this matter should be brought to an end, for there are limits to everything, and we will work diligently to find a viable solution to this crisis." He addressed the Minister of Interior and Municipalities in the caretaker government, Judge Bassam Mawlawi, saying: "'You always announce that you are against self-security; those who are against self-security should fulfill their duties and solve issues so that people do not resort to taking this step.'"
Responding to accusations that the Lebanese Forces accepted Syrian displacement initially, Geagea said: "No doubt at the beginning of the crisis, we were prepared to receive refugees fleeing the fire, but for one year, not as it is happening now. Those who accuse us today of having accepted the refugees are the ones who brought the country to the depths of hell, and 'after all, God has observed them.' Who was in the government then? And today's government is a government of whom? Who are the state's apparatuses with? Why don't they say what I am saying today and resolve the matter? Regarding the Syrian government, if it is unable to host refugees even for reconstruction, can we?"
In response to a question, he stated: "Gibran Bassil's talks were racist, and that's why I called them racist, but has accusing Bassil of racism prevented him from taking action?" He considered that "the easiest solution for the United Nations and the European Union is to leave the refugee file as it is, with Lebanese people finding the solution without waiting for the outside, asserting that this land is ours. If there are humanitarian reasons, let them divide the refugees, 60,000 for each European country; it would still be much better than two million Syrian refugees in Lebanon." He pointed to the fact that "the UNHCR grants refugee status at a time when it does not have the right to do so, as Lebanon is the one that grants this status."
In response to a question, Geagea affirmed that "if the security apparatuses do not act, municipalities must take action, and if municipalities do not act, any citizen has the right to initiate."
#### Plan for Basharri
In conclusion, Geagea distributed to the media the plan for Basharri district to address the Syrian displacement issue, which included:
"In solidarity with our people in Basharri district and in light of our responsibility to organize foreign labor and the presence of Syrian displaced persons in the district, and in order to maintain security and public order and to apply the relevant Lebanese laws, the Federation of Municipalities of Basharri district has decided to activate its previous decisions regarding this matter and calls upon our people in the district to actively participate in bearing the national responsibility from their positions, adhering to the decisions made by the local authority for the sake of the public good, especially in such delicate circumstances.
Based on the recommendations of the Federation of Municipalities dated April 18, 2024, the following has been decided:
1. To conduct a comprehensive survey of Syrian individuals and families present within the jurisdiction of each municipality and ensure they possess the legal identification documents issued by the General Directorate of General Security, and that workers have work permits issued by the Ministry of Labor in accordance with Article 6 of Law 10/7/1962.
2. To notify the families (women and children) residing illegally in Basharri district of the need to leave the district within a maximum period of fifteen days from the date of their notification of this letter, due to their violation of Lebanese laws and the unsanitary conditions of their accommodation.
3. To inform all those without legal residency among the workers to rectify their status within a fifteen-day period based on the conditions set by the General Directorate of General Security, and in case they do not meet the conditions, they must leave upon the expiration of this deadline, subject to review by the relevant authorities (Northern Governorate Circular dated April 25, 2023).
4. To prohibit the employment of any foreign worker without valid residency under the sponsorship of a citizen from Basharri district, under the penalty of expulsion.
5. To require owners of apartments and rented rooms that meet the required health standards to register rental contracts and provide municipalities with the legal papers of tenants, and to refrain from any new rental operations before informing the municipality, under the penalty of holding them fully responsible for the conduct of their tenants and facing legal action.
6. To prohibit Syrian refugees from engaging in any profession that violates the Minister of Labor's Decision No. 41/1 dated January 28, 2017 (construction workers, sanitation, agricultural) and to adhere strictly to the daily wage set by the Federation of Municipalities of Basharri district, which is $10 per day, under the penalty of ticketing violators.
7. To prohibit Syrian refugees from investing in any institutions or commercial establishments in accordance with Minister of Labor's Decision No. 1/96 dated October 20, 2011, and Circular No. 1/4 dated September 10, 2021.
8. To prohibit Syrian refugees from owning or driving any illegal vehicle or if they do not possess a driving license, under the penalty of confiscating the vehicle and handing it over to the security forces.
9. To prohibit gatherings and movement of foreign displaced persons in squares and public places and within the neighborhoods of villages from 6 PM to 5 AM, with violations subject to ticketing (Northern Governorate Circular dated April 25, 2023).
10. To strictly prohibit the establishment of camps for Syrians on public and private lands.
11. To encourage Lebanese youth and women to work and engage personally and directly in their livelihoods and interests, as this stage requires a mobilization of efforts and reliance on God and their own abilities."
