Former head of General Security Abbas Ibrahim. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT – Former General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim on Tuesday, in a post on X, called for a national conference to address the issue of Syrian refugees' presence in Lebanon.
Since the murder of Pascal Sleiman, a Lebanese Forces official, on April 7 by, according to the Lebanese Army, a gang of Syrian origin, the spotlight has once again turned to the presence of Syrians in Lebanon. This contentious issue has remained firmly entrenched in the Lebanese government's political agenda since 2011 at the onset of the Syrian civil war, which displaced over half of Syria's population, as estimated by United Nations agencies.
Lebanon's economic crisis exacerbated public resentment at the continued presence of these refugees. Politicians also often blame the presence of Syrian refugees for Lebanon’s woes.
In his post, Ibrahim urged all Lebanese political forces to participate in a conference, saying, "We, the Lebanese, alone have the solution, and it is in our hands to impose it on the world."
“The displaced Syrians in Lebanon have become a burden on the Lebanese state, demographically, socially, economically, politically and security-wise ... What is the Lebanese state waiting for and what is the international community waiting for?" Ibrahim added.
In September 2022, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati tasked Ibrahim with negotiating the “voluntary and safe” return of Syrian refugees with Damascus.
In 2018, Ibrahim organized, in coordination with Syrian authorities that were approving the lists of applicants, regular convoys for the "safe returns" of refugees. Back then, in September, he had claimed that "around 50,000 Syrians" had gone back to their country through that process.
Lebanese authorities have regularly called for the repatriation of Syrians. The UN, however, has stressed that Syria is not safe enough for mass returns.