Lebanon: Interior Minister hits out at Syrian refugees
Lebanon’s Interior Minister recently made a string of unsavoury remarks about Syrian refugees, according to Asharq Al-Awsat and agencies, October 1.
Interior Minister, Bassam Mawlawi also hit out at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees saying that it was no longer acceptable for them to have no regard for Lebanon and its laws.
The minister noted that the Syrian refugee crisis had become “unbearable” and that his office and government were doing everything in their power to look after them.
On September 30, Mawlawi controversially said that Syrian migrants, “have become a threat to Lebanon’s demographics and identity.”
The Interior Minister and his government insists that they will get to the bottom of the issue, taking a stronger approach to refugees fleeing Syria.
He added that, “The refugee problem is major, and we must approach it according to our keenness on Lebanon’s existence, interests and laws,”
A former judge, Mr. Mawlawi became Interior Minister in 2021 and was accused, by MP, Jihad Samad, of being at the forefront of the Eden Bay scandal at the time of his appointment to the role.
1.5 million Syrian refugees have settled in the country as well as 210,000 from Palestine.
Many Palestinian refugees are currently residing in the Ein Al-Hilweh refugee camp, situated west of the village, Miye ou Miye in southern Lebanon. The camp, formerly under gunmen’s control, was taken over by a Palestine security force in a move that will ease tensions in the area.
The government has been asking for information on the displaced so that it can wave away the refugee status of those who return to Syria.
The Interior Minister affirmed that, “The law must be applied equally on the Syrians and the Lebanese people,” whilst calling on the United Nations to draw up a plan that would ensure they return home safely.
Asharq Al-Awsat/AP
