REPORT: Salam from Istanbul: Lebanon is not a country where other people can be naturalized

Prime Minister Tammam Salam noted Monday that Lebanon is suffering from a Syrian displacement crisis and an institutional paralysis due to the presidential void.

In a speech he delivered at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Salam said that “​the country does not have enough resources to help more than 1.5 million Syrians and Palestinians who sought refuge on its territories.”
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“We reiterate adherence to the Lebanese Constitution which stipulates that Lebanon is not a country where other people can be naturalized,” he added.
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Earlier today, ​the PM stressed that​ the Lebanese Constitution does not allow the integration, resettlement, or naturalization of the Syrian refugees, calling upon United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to activate the role of the UN and other involved forces for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.
 
During a breakfast arranged in honor of the participating delegation heads at the WHS​, he ​emphasized that the political solution is the only way to address the conflict in Syria, pointing out that the safe and gradual return of the refugees to their country will affect the reconciliation process.
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“The longer their displacement lasts the less enthusiastic the refugee will become to return, posing a threat to all parties ,” he stated.
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Salam explained that Syria is not capable of handling the challenges posed by the huge flow of refugees, and no other country whether turkey or Jordan are willing to re-settle the refugees.