Political meeting at former Prime Minister Najib Mikati's place in the Mina neighborhood of Tripoli (Northern Lebanon) to discuss developments in Lebanon and the repercussions of events in Syria, Friday, March 14, 2025. Photo provided to our correspondent Michel Hallak.
Concerns over the fallout from events in Syria, particularly in northern Lebanon, continued to mobilize security forces and political leaders Friday following the arrival of thousands of people fleeing massacres in western Syria in recent days.
Against this backdrop, security forces maintained heightened patrols in Tripoli for a second consecutive day, while several political and religious figures gathered at the residence of former Prime Minister Najib Mikati to discuss the situation.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Mikati said participants "discussed the repercussions of the situation in Syria and how to manage them. The exchanges were constructive," according to the state-run National News Agency.
"There are no more refugees in Lebanon"
"We condemn the bloody events in Syria," Mikati said. "What is essential is that the Lebanese government strives to help the displaced who have arrived in Lebanon and ensure their return." He added: "It is clear that there can be no permanent refugee status in Lebanon in any form."
A statement issued after the meeting asserted that, according to the Geneva Convention, a "refugee is a person who does not want or cannot return to their country." In this context, it concluded that there are no longer any refugees in Lebanon as defined by international law, echoing a position Lebanese authorities have maintained for years.
The statement also welcomed "the announcement by the Syrian government of an independent investigation into recent events and its pledge to bring those responsible for massacring innocent and unarmed civilians to justice."
On Monday, interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa told Reuters that the killings of Alawite civilians posed a threat to his mission of unifying the country and vowed to hold those responsible accountable, including his own allies if necessary. Since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8, al-Sharaa has repeatedly called for the return of millions of Syrian refugees who fled the civil war.
Thousands of Syrian Alawites flee to Akkar
According to the Disaster Management Chamber, the Akkar region is hosting 9,741 new Syrian refugees — mostly Alawites, or 2,075 families — who have entered Lebanon through illegal crossings along the Nahr al-Kabir River, which marks the border between the two countries. They are fleeing massacres in western Syria carried out by militias allied with the new Syrian authorities, including the pro-Turkish Syrian National Army, which has killed more than 1,000 civilians — mostly Alawites — since March 6, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Most of the refugees have been taken in by Alawite-majority localities in northern Lebanon, staying with Lebanese hosts or in makeshift shelters such as schools, mosques, and warehouses.
Regarding the municipal elections scheduled for May, Mikati called them a "development challenge" and said he would adopt "an appropriate stance at the right time."
Attendees at the meeting included former Prime Ministers Tammam Salam and Fouad Siniora, along with northern Lebanese MPs Abdel Karim Kabbara, Elie Khoury, Jamil Abboud, Ihab Matar, Walid Baarini, Mohammad Yehya, Jihad al-Samad, and Ahmad al-Kheir. Religious leaders also participated, including the muftis of Tripoli and Akkar, Sheikh Mohammad Imam and Sheikh Zayd Bakkar Zakaria, respectively, as well as the Maronite archbishop of Tripoli, Bishop Youssef Soueif. Also in attendance were Bishop Ephrem Kyriakos, the representative of the Greek Orthodox metropolitan of Tripoli and Koura, and Greek Catholic Archbishop Edouard Daher of Tripoli and the North.
Security plan for Tripoli
The meeting came as a comprehensive security plan for Tripoli is being implemented for Ramadan, led by Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar and Internal Security Forces chief Gen. Imad Osman.
"It is imperative to combat insecurity in all its forms and remove any political protection for criminals," Mikati said. "The judicial system must accelerate procedures and ensure that trials are held within reasonable timeframes."
Security forces continued their operations Friday across northern Lebanon, particularly in Tripoli, to maintain order, crack down on illegal motorcycles, curb the proliferation of illicit weapons, and combat theft and celebratory gunfire, according to the National News Agency. The seizure of numerous unregistered motorcycles was well received by residents, with a noticeable drop in sporadic clashes, the agency reported.
However, a 12-year-old boy died Thursday from severe injuries after being accidentally shot in the head during a shooting Monday in Tripoli, local correspondent Michel Hallak reported. Two other people were wounded when an argument escalated in Zahriyeh, where a man opened fire at a chicken restaurant just minutes before iftar, the meal to break the Ramadan fast. The shooter remains at large.
The previous week, several other shootings had occurred, also resulting in casualties.