FPM Defends Bassil over Naturalization Remarks as Mustaqbal Slams 'Fabrications'

The Free Patriotic Movement and al-Mustaqbal movement continued their war of words on Tuesday after FPM chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil warned of an alleged scheme to naturalize Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, al-Mustaqbal bloc condemned what it called Bassil's “shameful behavior towards U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon when he refused to receive him and welcome him.”

The U.N. chief and the international delegation that accompanied him “came to Lebanon to support the country and its sovereignty and independence, in addition to underscoring the importance of holding the constitutional juncture” of the presidential election, the bloc stressed.

Bassil “accused this prominent international visitor of visiting Lebanon to promote a scheme aimed at naturalizing Syrian refugees. This issue is baseless and no such discussions whatsoever took place with the Lebanese officials,” Mustaqbal underlined.

“This claim is nothing but mere fabrications and incitement by the minister, who is apparently acting at the behest of Hizbullah,” the bloc charged.

It also described Bassil's failure to meet with Ban Ki-moon as “a new blow to Lebanon in the wake of the tensions that he caused between Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the rest of the Arab nations.”

“Minister Bassil's behavior and practices are inflicting very great damage on Lebanon,” Mustaqbal warned, urging him to “stop the practices that harm Lebanon and apologize over the mistakes that he has committed.”

“The policy of fabricating illusions and scaremongering is aimed at deviating attention from the main issue, which is the persistence of the presidential vacuum problem,” the bloc added.

The FPM's Change and Reform parliamentary bloc snapped back later on Tuesday, stressing that Bassil “did not commit any protocol mistake” by shunning the visiting U.N. chief.

“Why do al-Mustaqbal movement and its followers consider themselves accused of seeking naturalization?” the bloc wondered in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

“You have let in 1.5 million Syrian refugees and yet you are accusing us of racism. Are you seeking naturalization?” Change and Reform asked.

Asking Mustaqbal's officials to care about the “essence” of the issue instead of its formalities, the bloc emphasized that it wants “transparency in addressing the topic.”

Bassil had warned on Saturday that Lebanon must adopt “unilateral and sovereign steps, otherwise naturalization will be imposed on us.”

“I know that some politicians have remained silent over this issue for political and sectarian interests,” Bassil said.

“Displacement causes chaos. The sense of abandonment fuels the need for revenge and eventually terrorism,” he warned, noting that some European countries have recently started turning back refugees.

“Lebanon has never adopted such measures and it has always been generous towards the displaced, even to those who do not qualify to be labeled as refugees,” Bassil added.

“What have we gotten in return? What have the Lebanese people gotten in return?” he asked, while lamenting the lack of serious efforts to resolve the refugee file.

Lebanon is home to more than 1 million registered Syrian refugees, or nearly a quarter of the country's 4.5 million people. Lebanese officials say that another half a million Syrians live in the country as well.

Y.R.