Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati chairs a meeting in the Serail in Beirut. (Credit: Mikati's office)
BEIRUT — Referring to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati told a meeting with the “Strong Republic” (the Lebanese Forces parliamentary bloc) that Lebanon is “a country of transit, not a country of refuge,” according to a statement released by MP Sethrida Geagea’s media office.
The meeting at the Grand Serail took place ahead of a visit from European Union President Ursula von der Leyen and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, who will arrive in Beirut on May 2. The EU has been making efforts to negotiate deals with neighboring countries to prevent migrants from crossing into Europe, offering aid packages in return for stricter border control.
"We discussed the issue of the illegal Syrian presence in Lebanon,” Geagea’s statement reads. “Mikati assured us that Lebanon was a country of transit and not a country of refuge. The municipalities where our MPs are active are doing the right thing, but it's not enough. The security forces and General Security must play the leading role.”
The meeting was also attended by Interior Minister Bassam, who recently called the Syrian population in Lebanon “unacceptable,” acting Director-General of General Security, Elias Baissari, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Lebanon Imran Reza and the representative of the UNHCR in Lebanon, Ivo Freijsen.
Politicians of all stripes regularly call for the repatriation and deportation of Syrians, of which there are an estimated 1.5 million who fled to Lebanon as refugees from the war in Syria, which continues to ravage parts of the country more than a decade later.
The Lebanese Forces delegation asked Mikati to work with Mawlawi and Baissari to “apply the law to any foreigner illegally present in Lebanon,” according to Geagea, wife of the party leader, Samir.
A report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on April 26 found that Lebanese authorities have arbitrarily detained, tortured, and forcibly repatriated Syrians in recent months, including opposition activists and army defectors.
According to Reuters, at least 600 Syrians from Lebanon traveled across the Mediterranean in small boats to Cyprus in the first four days of April, possibly taking advantage of mild weather to attempt the treacherous sea crossing, which usually takes around 10 hours. Cypriot and Lebanese authorities periodically carry out rescue missions for migrants who fall victim to dangerous conditions in sea waters.