Saturday, January 3, 2015

Lebanon clarifies measures on entry of Syrian refugees

Lebanon's minister of social affairs said on Saturday that measures applied at border checkpoints for entry of Syrian nationals "are exceptional but cannot be permanent," clarifying that they would persist "as long as the Syrian crisis lasts."

"The General Security took technical measures regarding the entry of Syrian nationals, which do not to need the Council of Ministers approval," the minister, Rashid Derbas, said in remarks published by Al-akhbar daily. He stressed that these measures have been previously announced and "should limit entry of additional refugees into the country."

The minister said that Lebanon "did not close its borders to the Syrians but as for refugees, we can no longer welcome them as the country cannot afford it." However, "in the event of humanitarian reasons we will definitely examine each individual case."

  • The Lebanese General Security said starting from Jan. 5, any Syrian national arriving at any Lebanese port of entry must justify his or her reason of entry by presenting certified papers or documents. For instance, if entry is for medical purposes, the applicant should have necessary medical reports to support his case. In case of temporary stay, the applicant should provide documents to prove he or she owns a house in Lebanon.
Derbas said previous measures that rejects re-entry of any refugee who has left the country were "efficient and refugee numbers have dropped by 100,000 at the end of last year."

He stressed that "international aid to Syrian refugees is ongoing, although it is not up to government and refugee expectations, and is under the direct auspices of Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Deputy UN Secretary General Jan Eliasson."

The Lebanese official pointed out that "once a political agreement is reached, refugee camps will be set up."

 Source:Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
3/1/15
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1 comment :

  1. Lebanon imposes visa restrictions on Syrians for first time ...

    New restrictions on Syrians seeking to cross into Lebanon came into force Monday as Lebanon attempts to stem the massive influx of Syrian refugees fleeing the civil war.

    The new visa regulations, posted over the weekend on the website of the General Security agency, come into effect on Monday, January 5 and lay out various categories, including for tourism and medical treatment.

    The announcement comes as Lebanon, a tiny Arab country with a population of just over five million, is struggling to cope with the influx of more than 1.1 million Syrian refugees fleeing the deadly civil war, which is entering its fifth year.

    Citizens of both countries have been able to travel freely across their shared border since Lebanon gained independence in 1943.

    For Syrians coping with a conflict that has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced half the population, the new visa regulations coming into effect in the thick of winter has posed yet another hardship on an already battered populace.

    In October, Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas said Lebanon was effectively no longer receiving Syrian refugees, with limited exceptions for "humanitarian reasons".

    A security source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, declined to describe the new requirements as visas, but acknowledged they were unprecedented...............http://www.france24.com/en/20150105-lebanon-syria-refugees-visa-restrictions/
    5/1/15

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