![]() ![]() ![]() Hajjar told The Associated Press that Lebanon’s government can ensure that Syrians who qualify as refugees would not be deported, by exchanging data with the U.N. In recent interviews with local media, caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar claimed that refugees make up 40% of Lebanon’s population, which “no country in the world would accept.” The rhetoric has grown increasingly heated a federation of trade unions recently declared a “National Campaign to Liberate Lebanon from the Syrian Demographic Occupation.” ![]() Since Lebanon’s economic meltdown began in 2019, officials have increasingly called for a mass return of Syrians, saying they are a burden on the country’s scarce resources and that much of Syria is now safe. Lebanon is believed to have a population of around 5 million to 5.5 million citizens, but no census has been held for nearly a century. Government officials have given varying estimates of the number of Syrians in the country, ranging from 1.5 million to more than 2 million. The actual number of Syrians living in Lebanon after fleeing their country’s 12-year-old civil war is believed to be much higher as Lebanon’s government ordered the United Nations to halt new registrations in 2015. Lebanon hosts some 805,000 registered Syrian refugees, whose official status in theory protects them - although those who fail to keep their residency papers up to date can face deportation. Last week, a committee of government ministers demanded that UNHCR hand over detailed personal information on refugees in its database. refugee agency to revoke refugee status from Syrians who go back and forth between Lebanon and their war-torn country. The Interior Ministry announced Tuesday that it ordered municipalities to survey and register their Syrian populations and make sure they are documented before permitting them to rent property. Municipalities have put in place restrictive measures such as curfews for Syrians. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |