Second wave of displacement: The Cabinet addresses growing concerns over refugee crisis

In response to the increasing severity of the second wave of displacement, the Cabinet has decided to convene a special session to address this crisis. 

This decision comes after some proposed referring the matter to the ministerial committee responsible for displaced individuals. 

Notably, the Social Affairs Minister, Hector Hajjar, who boycotted all Cabinet sessions, has expressed his readiness to attend a session with a single agenda item - the displacement file.

Ministers have voiced their unanimous concerns over the security risks associated with the influx of displaced individuals, with the recent events in Nahr al-Bared and Ain al-Hilweh never far from their minds. 

The concern is the entry of significant numbers of young people, which raises fears of their potential involvement in terrorist groups. Reports suggest their sheltering in camps, further intensifying these apprehensions.

Therefore, these security concerns and others will be thoroughly examined and discussed with the leaders of the security agencies in the upcoming session.

The Displaced Minister elaborated upon the significant number of individuals entering the country illegally, in the thousands, and the need to increase the number of security personnel along the Lebanese-Syrian border from 8,000 to 40,000. 

He emphasized the necessity of forming a committee to visit Syria, not only to repatriate the displaced but also to secure the borders, as this requires security cooperation between Lebanon and Syria.

What is noteworthy is the warning the Health Minister, Firas Abiad, issued regarding the arrival of individuals who entered the country illegally and are injured due to smuggling or other reasons. These individuals are treated in government hospitals, especially in the north, where they receive medical care for humanitarian reasons while their hospital bills remain unsettled. 

Abiad called for the ministerial committee to discuss this matter with the UNHCR to find a solution, as government hospitals are already incapable of treating Lebanese citizens, let alone bearing these additional costs.