Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib during a conference in Italy, May, 23, 2023. (Credit: Lebanese Foreign Ministry via Twitter account)
BEIRUT — Lebanon's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib on Tuesday said that the existence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon "threatens" the country's Christian-Muslim balance. Lebanon currently hosts over one million Syrian refugees, most of which came to Lebanon since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
During a conference in Italy, Bou Habib said the number of Syrian refugees "threatens the Lebanese entity."
"There was always balance and equality between christians and muslims in which they feel no one has an advantage over the other," Bou habib said. He called for solving the problem through negotiations with Europe, "and not through the attempt of some powerful European countries to force their stay in Lebanon until an undefined time."
Bou Habib also pleaded Europe to "rethink their approach in Arab matters and matters related to the essence of Lebanon's structure."
He said that "currently there is no clear roadmap to solve [the refugee] crisis. They have been living in Lebanon for 12 years in hopes of a solution, which is also what the Palestinians have been waiting for in Lebanon for more than 75 years. In spite of this, the Palestinians can't go back."
After the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, Lebanon became home to thousands of displaced Palestinians. Till this day they remain in a state of perpetual limbo in the country, unable to return home and denied Lebanese citizenship despite being born on Lebanese soil.
The matter of Syrian refugees in Lebanon resurfaced in recent weeks with many of the country's political leaders once again calling for their repatriation. Meanwhile, human rights organizations continue to warn against the risks of going back.
During a conference in Italy, Bou Habib said the number of Syrian...