The Free Patriotic Movement head Gebran Bassil during an interview with L'Orient-Le Jour, in April, 2022. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today/File photo)
BEIRUT — Commenting on the Syrian migrant crisis, Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil said on Saturday that if Lebanon wants to negotiate with Western countries regarding the crisis, Lebanon must not keep its sea "strictly closed" to migrants who are trying to reach Europe illegally.
Western conspiracy
During a "Municipal forum on displacement" held by his party on Saturday, Bassil talked about an "international conspiracy" against Lebanon and Syria that has "became a source of danger to Lebanon's existence."
"Western countries, through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, work to stabilize the displaced in the land to which they were displaced and finance their survival," Bassil said. He also blamed these countries for having "used Lebanese security institutions as a tool to close the maritime borders to prevent" migrants in Lebanon from moving to Europe.
Illegal migration attempts from Lebanon have surged over recent years. Just last month, at least two clandestine migration efforts were foiled off the coast of Tripoli. And in late September, about 30 Syrians attempting to leave Lebanon illegally by sea were rescued offshore near Chekka in the north of the country.
"In any case, if we want to bring together the countries that insist on keeping our displaced people [in Lebanon] at the negotiating table, we must not leave our sea strictly closed, and the Lebanese security services responsible for the security of Lebanon must not act as if they are only responsible for the security of other countries," he contended.
Reliance on municipalities
Bassil also said that municipalities are the only ones that "can be relied upon with partial and temporary solutions to alleviate the burden of migrants in light of the increasing governmental, administrative and security deficit, and in light of the foreign conspiracy."
According to the FPM leader, it has become the duty of municipalities to carry out "the necessary classification [of migrants] and take measures against violators, whether by fining them financially, which provides financial revenues for municipalities, or by closing their shops, homes or illegal work, or by expelling them from their municipal jurisdiction."
"In light of the victories of the resistance, we must not accept any solution that does not include the complete and unconditional return of displaced Syrians and Palestinian refugees to their land, or to any place they choose," Bassil added.
Lebanese politicians and mainly members of the FPM have increasingly called for the return of migrants to Syria, saying that Syria is now a safe country.
Lebanon currently hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees, according to Lebanese government numbers. About 950,000 of these Syrian nationals are registered with UNHCR, which stopped registering Syrian refugees in 2015 per Lebanon's request.
Extension of Joseph Aoun's mandate
The FPM leader also said Parliament's renewal of Lebanese Army chief Joseph Aoun's mandate is "part of this conspiracy."
"What happened yesterday regarding the extension in the Parliament is part of the continuation of the conspiracy, which Lebanese politicians and governments have not confronted since we spoke about it in 2011," Bassil said.
He added that what happened Friday in the Parliament is an extension of the "security policies adopted on the land and sea borders of Lebanon."
