According to information from "Al-Diyar," President Nabih Berri confirmed to his visitors the importance of a unified stance regarding the issue of displacement, a national concern. He also stated that he is keen on the success of the session and reaching a national consensus on addressing the Syrian displacement crisis and working for their return to Syria. He emphasized that he will make every effort to achieve this unified stance and will not allow the session to deviate from the national goal regarding this issue.
To this end, "Al-Diyar" learned that President Berri tasked his political assistant, Deputy Ali Hassan Khalil, with communicating and discussing with parliamentary blocs in an effort to agree on the draft stance expected to be issued by the Parliament in the upcoming session. The information adds that these communications and meetings involve various parliamentary blocs, with participation from deputies from key blocs including Deputy George Adwan from the Strong Republic Bloc, Selim Aoun and George Atallah from the Lebanon Strong Bloc, Wael Abu Faour and Hadi Abu Hassan from the Democratic Gathering Bloc, as well as others from different blocs.
It is expected that communications and meetings will intensify tomorrow and the day after to reach an agreement on the unified stance regarding the issue of Syrian refugees. A parliamentary source participating in these communications told "Al-Diyar" yesterday that the atmosphere is positive and encouraging, expressing optimism about reaching an agreement on the formula that the council will issue on Wednesday, which goes beyond the European aid issue to encompass the entire refugee file.
He added that there is progress toward agreement on what will be issued by the council, and there are points being discussed for their formulation, with good intentions. He stated that failure is not an option, noting that the session will be attended by all, and will include interventions and discussions, especially regarding the issue of aid, but will conclude with a position or decision issued by the council by consensus or by majority vote.
A prominent opposition source told "Al-Diyar" that discussions about European aid to Lebanon are misplaced, as it has been revealed to be a financial aid package for the next four years, similar to what occurred in previous years with an annual aid of about 250 million dollars. He added: We must take advantage of Wednesday's session to achieve a consensus or near-consensus from the council on a unified stance regarding this national issue to motivate the government to pursue a decisive plan to return Syrians to their country.
Regarding whether a roadmap is expected from the council to the government to handle the refugee issue, the source said: A roadmap is not what is required, but rather an executive plan for the deportation of illegally residing Syrians in Lebanon.
From the Shiite duo, a parliamentary source told "Al-Diyar" that the session is extremely important and it is essential for the council to come out with a unified national stance away from political disagreements, as there is Lebanese consensus on this file and the return of Syrian refugees to their country. Concerning the European aid, he noted that it is a verbal promise announced by the President of the European Commission, and we do not know the details, and it will be discussed in the session. In any case, it should be unconditional, noting that it constitutes a very small part of the burdens and costs incurred by Lebanon due to the presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
A source within the Free Patriotic Movement stated to "Al-Diyar" that this issue is a national issue par excellence, and everyone is obliged to work vigorously to return the refugees to their country. We will discuss during the session the European aid package and its conditions and hear from President Mikati about everything surrounding it. As for the refugee file, it is essential that we come out with a unified position to require the government to carry it in the Brussels conference or at the upcoming Arab summit in Bahrain.
Regarding the stance of the government, a governmental source told "Al-Diyar" yesterday that President Mikati will have a comprehensive intervention during the session of the parliament to answer all the deputies' inquiries regarding the European aid and the refugee file, and he will correct accusations directed at the government in this regard. He added that he will also explain transparently and clearly the negotiations conducted regarding the Syrian refugee file with the President of Cyprus and the President of the European Commission, culminating in the aid and how it is allocated and in what direction.
President Mikati will emphasize the absolute rejection of resettlement, whether for Palestinians or Syrians, expressing his welcome to the deputies' proposal for a unified practical approach to returning Syrian refugees to their country. The source indicated that Lebanese-European communications have taken place in the past few days to clarify many points and follow up on the results of the visit by the President of the European Commission.
Regarding the expected position from the council during Wednesday's session, "Al-Diyar" learned that there is a draft under discussion that includes several points, notably:
- Emphasizing the return of refugees to Syria and holding the international community responsible for assisting Lebanon in achieving this goal.
- Committing to the 2003 agreement signed by the Lebanese General Security and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which later became a decree, affirming that Lebanon is not a country of asylum but a transit country.
- Communication and cooperation between the Lebanese and Syrian governments to begin the return of Syrian refugees to Syria, with discussions anticipated on this item.
- Implementing Lebanese laws and Ministry of Interior directives concerning Syrians residing illegally.
- Requesting that donor entities direct their assistance to refugees toward their return to Syria instead of helping or encouraging them to remain in Lebanon.
- Emphasizing the need to secure the borders with Syria by the army and relevant security forces to prevent the entry of new Syrians or the return of previously deported Syrians to Lebanon.
- Confirming that most areas in Syria have become safe and there is no justification for not returning refugees to them.
