Discrepancy between Foreign Ministry, UNHCR over Govt. Decision on Syria Refugees

A dispute has started to emerge between the Foreign Ministry and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees over the interpretation of the government's decision to relieve Syrian refugees in Lebanon of residency fees should they choose to return to their homeland, reported An Nahar daily on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil sent a memo to cabinet and the Interior and Social Affairs Ministries regarding the development, explaining that the UNHCR sent text messages to refugees soon after the government adopted the measure.

The message said that the cabinet decided on August 21, 2014 that Syrian refugees residing illegally in Lebanon have the choice to amend their status or legally return to their country without paying any fees.

This measure is valid until December 31, 2014, added the message.

Any refugee who leaves Lebanon during this time is prohibited from returning for a period of six months, it explained.

Bassil said in his memo to cabinet: “This text message demonstrates once again how some organizations are working against the goals of the government, which is seeking to encourage and speed up the return of Syrians to this country.”

“Such actions require us to take the necessary response, starting with placing blame,” stressed the minister.

He then sent a memo to the UNHCR, saying that it had sent the text message to the refugees upon the government's approval of the new measure.

“We received complaints from several concerned ministries, starting with the Social Affairs Ministry, over your actions and we stress the need for you to adhere to the policy of the Lebanese government regarding the Syrian refugees,” he stated in his memo to the U.N. agency.

Later on Tuesday, Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas denied to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) that a rift exists between the government and UNHCR over the Syrian refugees.

“No one should forget that the state is responsible for its sovereignty,” he added.

The government announced in August that it would “relieve Syrians seeking to leave Lebanon of residency taxes,” allowing them to leave the country through legal means.

This decree will be effective for three months.

The cabinet took such a measure given the rise in the number of unregistered refugees, which is nearing that of registered ones.

According to the United Nations, there are about 1.1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

The recent clashes in the northeastern border town of Arsal has prompted the government to take measures to control and limit the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, whose presence is burdening the country on several levels.

M.T.

H.K.