Lebanon 'sounds alarm' at Brussels Conference: No return to status quo in Syrian refugee crisis

During the eighth Brussels Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region," caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, warned that if a major crisis occurs in Lebanon, it would negatively affect neighboring countries, including European nations.

The foreign minister emphasized that Lebanon has reached "a point of no return" in terms of tolerating the current situation and continuing with the same policies regarding the Syrian refugee crisis for over 13 years.

He said, "We have reached a Lebanese consensus that maintaining the status quo will pose an existential threat to Lebanon."

Based on a recommendation from the Lebanese Parliament, he said during his speech that Lebanon's participation aims to "create a detailed and scheduled plan for the return of the Syrian displaced, excluding special cases protected by Lebanese laws."

He stressed that continuing to address the Syrian displacement crisis with the same logic poses a danger to both Syria's neighbors and Europe.

Bou Habib pointed out that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) did not adhere to its commitments, and after a delay of four months, it handed over "incomplete data" to the Lebanese General Security.

He affirmed Lebanon's commitment to the content of the 2003 memorandum of understanding, which emphasizes the return of displaced individuals to their homeland or their resettlement in a third country as the basis for the solution.

He also confirmed a clear commitment to applying the existing laws that regulate entry into Lebanon, residence there, and departure from it.

He called on all United Nations agencies to adopt the payment of financial and humanitarian aid to encourage the return of the displaced to their country via the Lebanese state and its institutions or with its approval.

He affirmed the Lebanese government's commitment to the position announced regarding the Syrian refugee issue, stating that Lebanon can no longer bear the burden of hosting displaced individuals, and or act as a "border guard for any other country."

He noted that the return of displaced persons should not be linked to a political solution.

Minister Bou Habib also demanded fair compensation for the Lebanese state as a temporary measure, "not as an alternative solution," by directly supporting its institutions due to the grave burdens Lebanon bears, estimated at around 100 billion US dollars, according to preliminary estimates by the World Bank.

He emphasized that the data Lebanon requests from UNHCR is a "sovereign national right."

He stressed that any registered Syrian who leaves Lebanon illegally by sea or legally through the land borders to Syria should lose their refugee status.