Lebanese official urges termination of Syrian presence in Lebanon
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Lebanon’s caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi stated, on Wednesday, that they cannot tolerate any delay regarding the presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
“More than 30 percent of major crimes in Lebanon are committed by Syrians. This urges us to collaborate to preserve our environment and the identity of our country”, Mawlawi said in a press conference.
Lebanese authorities will not allow the random presence of the Syrians in Lebanon, he added.
Mawlawi expressed the urgent need for a plan to repatriate the Syrian refugees within a definite timeframe.
On Oct. 1, Mawlawi warned that the Syrian refugees “have become a threat to Lebanon’s demographics and identity.”
Lebanese authorities tightened the restrictions on Syrian asylum-seekers, as the country is witnessing an unprecedented economic and political crisis that sparked demands for the deportation of Syrians.
Lebanon has already put in effect a plan to deport 15,000 individuals per month. Meanwhile the UN rejected this resolution considering Syria is still an unsafe state.
Lebanon is home to roughly two million Syrians who fled from the violence of Syria’s civil war. Since the beginning of April, the Lebanese Armed Forces have forcefully deported hundreds, including some of the around 800,000 Syrians that are under UNHCR protection.