At the end of the conference held by the Free Patriotic Movement on the Syrian refugee crisis, and after having tackled the file from its various angles, whether at the level of the legal framework of the problem, the repercussions on security, stability and the economy, the weight of this crisis on the economic, financial and social situation of Lebanon, as well as the challenges imposed on the current state of Lebanese municipalities, and following the search for a comprehensive national framework for a solution guaranteeing a dignified and safe return of Syrian refugees to their country, while preserving the dignity and rights of the Lebanese, the Free Patriotic Movement presents a detailed set of recommendations as follows:

1 – Applying Laws such as:

* Labor Law (condemning unfair competition from non-Lebanese).

* The law governing the municipalities (so that the municipality exercises its authority within the framework of its perimeter in order to preserve the supreme interest of the Lebanese citizens and not the individual interests of the voters in the real estate and land rents).

* The law regulating the entry and stay of foreigners in Lebanon as well as their exit, which mentions in its article 17 “the authority of the director general of public security to take decisions in favor of the expulsion of foreigners in certain exceptional cases where they constitute a threat to public safety and security,” and Article 32, which stipulates that “foreigners who enter Lebanese territory illegally shall be punished with a prison term of between one month and three years, a fine as well as their expulsion from Lebanon”

* The decision of the Superior Council of Defense of April 15, 2019, decreeing the expulsion of Syrian citizens who entered Lebanese territory without passing through official crossing points.

2 – It would be necessary to study and approve the bills submitted by the Free Patriotic Movement such as: the bill for the modification of certain provisions of the law of July 10, 1962 regulating the entry and stay of foreigners in Lebanon as well as their departure, the bill for the regulation of the legal status of Syrian refugees, the law not to grant Lebanese nationality to stateless persons born in 2011 and after October 2021.

3 – The refugee file should be kept away from any political tension and a comprehensive Lebanese decision should be taken in order to deal with its repercussions and find a progressive and lasting solution by returning the refugee families to their country of origin and by keeping those who among them in the authorized employment fields after regularizing their status, taking into account Lebanon’s labor needs.

4 – Lebanon has always been considered as a country of passage and not a country of reception of refugees, but the reality today is such that it has become the country which welcomes the greatest number of refugees in the world relative to its population. Therefore, it is necessary to enact a law that manages, on the one hand, the situation of refugees in general and, on the other hand, that of Syrian refugees in particular, so that anyone arriving from Syrian governorates not adjacent to the Lebanese borders is not treated as a displaced person or as a refugee.

5 – It is necessary to recognize and admit to the positive role played by the Lebanese State, as well as by the Lebanese people, in their management and their participation in the welcoming and protection of Syrian refugees, while they had also to bear the great impact of the Syrian refugees on the economic, financial, humanitarian, social, infrastructure, development and security levels. It should be noted that Lebanon is considered the only country in the world that has hosted the largest number of refugees in relation to its population.

6 – Preliminary studies have proven, in numbers, that Lebanon has become a donor country, if not the largest donor country, in its response to the Syrian refugee crisis, in terms of direct and indirect costs. Therefore, we call on donor countries as well as international organizations to take into account these various figures, in any study on which the quarterly reports will be based in the tracking of funding, as part of their response to the Syrian refugee crisis.

7 – Based on international reports indicating that Lebanon needs almost 4 billion US dollars to restore its infrastructure to the situation it was in before the Syrian crisis, in addition to the exorbitant costs incurred as a result of the Syrian refugee crisis, we call on the international community to compensate Lebanon and the Lebanese people.

8 – A unified position at all Lebanese levels should be adopted, provided that it addresses this issue at the level of state sovereignty.

9 – Early recovery programs in Syria should be supported to facilitate the return of refugees.

10 – Dangerous prisoners should be deported in accordance with international treaties.

11 – It is essential to allow the handing over of refugee data by the UNHCR as well as by donor institutions to the Lebanese authorities in order to sort out and monitor the conditions of refugees and their movements.

12 – It is important to implement the government’s plan for the return of refugees.

The Free Patriotic Movement makes these recommendations available to you, hoping to be able to follow up on these recommendations through dialogues, whether bilateral or expanded, seminars and workshops with the participation and cooperation of the concerned authorities of the of the international community’s donor countries and organizations.

Source: National News Agency