Lebanon to deport Syrian refugees not meeting displacement criteria
DAMSASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The Lebanese government announced on Tuesday that it has devised a plan to address the issue of Syrian refugees residing on its territory. The proposal classifies the refugees into those who meet the status of displaced and those who do not.
During a ministerial committee meeting headed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail, Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs Hector Hajjar presented a roadmap to address the issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
The plan includes conducting a comprehensive survey of Syrians in Lebanon, to “determine who meets the status of displaced or not.”
Hajjar has urged for the allocation of funding to assist what he refers to as the “true displaced population,” in accordance with their numbers and specific needs.
Hajjar’s plan entails the removal of all tents and residential clusters of Syrians who do not meet the criteria of being displaced individuals. Those who are not considered displaced will either be resettled in a different country or repatriated to their home country.
Lebanon is home to over 2 million Syrians, the majority of whom are refugees, divided into registered and unregistered individuals on the lists of the Refugee Commission.
Figures released by the government of Lebanon in December 2023 estimates that the country hosts approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees, of whom 800,000 are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).