Bassil: Setting up Syrian Refugee Camps in Lebanon Violates Constitution
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil warned on Friday of the rising tensions between the Lebanese people and Syrian refugees due to the burden the latter is posing on Lebanon, rejecting the establishment of camps for the displaced within the country.
He said during a press conference: “Legitimizing Syrian refugee camps is a violation of the constitution, which speaks against nationalization.”
“We request that the Syrian authorities set up camps for the displaced within Syrian territories,” he added.
“Should the government consider establishing the camps, we know that there is an alliance within the cabinet that would oppose such a measure,” Bassil said.
“We will not condone such a step, because this is a veiled attempt to naturalize the refugees,” he stressed.
The minister emphasized that Lebanon has taken in the greatest number of refugees and has been very hospitable to them, noting that they now exceed 35 percent of the population.
“Lebanon is witnessing a major catastrophe over the refugees,” Bassil stated.
He called for improving the flow of the displaced, noting that Europe, “which has played a pioneering role in protecting human rights, has even taken measures to control the influx.”
The minister lamented however that the international community has not given Lebanon enough aid in helping it harbor the refugees.
“Lebanon is not a priority for the international community. It has forgotten the small country that is Lebanon,” he remarked.
“It has committed a grave mistake in tackling the case of refugees in Lebanon due to the errors it made in Syria,” he added.
“I will honestly tell you that no one is concerned with resolving this crisis,” he said.
“The refugees should be given incentives by the international community to leave Lebanon, not stay,” Bassil explained.
He called for the reduction of the number of refugees, either through cooperation with the international community or unilateral steps, by the government, that respect human rights.
Lebanon currently hosts 1.1 million refugees, the highest number at 38 percent of Syrian refugees fleeing the war-torn country for other countries in the region.
The U.N. says the country needs $1.6 billion (1.2 billion euros) for 2014 to be able to cope with the refugee crisis, but that only 23 percent of this has been gathered.
According to Central Bank of Lebanon statistics, the country faces a financial burden of $4.5 billion because of the refugee crisis.
In May, the Lebanese authorities took a decision to ban Syrian refugees from heading to their country or lose their status.
M.T.
G.K.
04 July 2014, 12:40
88
Bassil you are one of the most corrupt politician after Berry and Jumblat. You may want to fool us by populist about the refugees. It is an M8 government that allowed this situation to rotten and not take any measures against the flow of refugees.
04 July 2014, 12:55
88
Hahaha! Right, M8 want Sunni terrorists in Lebanon. What are you smoking?
04 July 2014, 13:19
36
provide selfies, links, youtube videos or infamous flamethrower speeches to support your claims or zip it!
04 July 2014, 13:33
33
The fact that he refused to execute government decision to set up the autorite regulation de l'electricite. The scandal of Deir amar.
04 July 2014, 14:13
35
FT not one tender is being done under normal conditions. If it is lost to Bassil friends he cancels it. Otherwise he is issuing the tenders 15 to 30 days before deadline for projects worth hundreds of million of usd just to make sure than no company other than the one he wants can answer the tender. The last exemenis the tender for rehabilitation of zook: only one company answered for the astronomic sum of 300M usd.
04 July 2014, 17:31
03
what you say is real blabla, give us one lead that R Hariri gained on the expense of Lebanese ! one proof.
04 July 2014, 12:59
26
Really Bassil ? You seem to have no problem with Hezbollah's weapons, war in Syria, roadblocks and more violating the constitution in every single aspect of it !
Your Ex-General, the Traitor in Chief also has no problem violating the constitution by not attending the sessions.
He also wants to change the constitution under a crazy, hasty drive to strip christians of their remaining priveledges and have the rest of the population decide who our president will be !
04 July 2014, 13:12
26
Also Bassil, please explain the link between Refugee Camps and "Nationalization". No one talks about Nationalisation of Syrians.
Having said that, we should find ways to send the syrians back home but Bashar, your partner seems to refuse your ideas of setting up camps along the border. Hezbollah also !
Now, ask you partners Hezbollah, who are stepping all over you and Aoun, to withdraw from Syria and help protect our border against the illegal influx of Syrian refugees.
This would be much more efficient in protecting Lebanon than their fake excuses to go to war in Syria. Bombs havent' stopped so Hassan is full of himself when he lies to us about his great divine victories !
04 July 2014, 13:05
23
ajdab men 3ammou!
leikou wein serna bi lebnen men michel chiha serna bi michel aoun ou jerbran chantalou
04 July 2014, 13:22
46
Bassil, go file a complaint to the UN for this morning Syrian violations that resulted in the death of lebanese citizens and stop your BS> Incompetent subhuman
04 July 2014, 15:10
00
well when the same person warned 2 years ago about what is happening now
they treated him as racist
anyway when there will be refugee camps in gulf countries we will do the same if there is not in gulf countries we should close the camps we have to be on the same level of Ksa , and emirates , Qatar ,...
god bless democracy
04 July 2014, 15:32
13
M8 and M14 Politicians do nothing but insult each other on tv, while behind the scene they are budies. If u love the west then do like Hariri leave us alone and go there. But PLS don’t insult the west, specially the US when yur sect and partisans do carry a green card and citizenship and all your relatives live there. It is very ironic than none of these people go and live in Tehran, I wonder..
04 July 2014, 16:18
44
Sophie, FT supported his National team but it crashed out in the first round. Although to be fair they played well, tied with Nigeria and almost upset Argentina but the referee disallowed a clear penalty because of he got petro$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ from KSA/M14 takfiris.
04 July 2014, 18:29
41
Jealous/envious frustrated Sunni cannibal terrorist but most of all a gimp iceman
04 July 2014, 20:48
30
Oh yes and iceman's girlfriend blow up doll Kate aka orio-fistula as a cover up for her vagino-fistula. Lol RFT flea.
04 July 2014, 16:22
24
typical FPM BS... they violate the constitution with no scrupules when it suits them and cry foul when it suits them too...
double standard idiots they are, that s all....
04 July 2014, 17:35
00
we want refugees camp the same number that exists in the gulf countries
04 July 2014, 18:03
00
we accept the same number of refugee camps that are in the gulf countries
04 July 2014, 19:19
00
At least M8 and M14 have something in common after all. Their hatred to "the gharib", racism and false sense of worth could be a cause to unite them (they can still differ on the logistics). Maybe we do not deserve a country after all.
04 July 2014, 19:54
00
Lebanon will accept the same number of refugees camps that are in the whole gulf countries
04 July 2014, 23:33
00
Lebanon will make as much refugee camps as the whole gulf countries
05 July 2014, 05:50
02
pretty sure this retard didnt read our constitution.
Whats the link between camp and giving them citizenship ?
He's playing with fear in his christian public.
Jordan and Turkey have camps, did they give citizenship ?
