This crisis is escalating amid surprising stances, the latest of which came from the European Union, which openly announced accepting the refuge of refugees in Lebanon under very weak pretexts.
The crisis is also intensifying amid information about the policy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which not only faces Lebanese rejection of its policies regarding registered refugees but has also gone as far as adopting a policy that encourages hundreds of thousands of unregistered refugees to flow into Lebanon.
Starting with information provided by diplomatic sources, it was revealed that the UNHCR currently gives monthly salaries to 850,000 registered refugees on its lists, in addition to generous assistance encouraging refugees to stay in Lebanon, which is a well-known fact.
However, what is not known is that the UNHCR has dealt with new waves of unregistered displacement by giving each refugee $10 per day, equivalent to $300 per month, totaling $270 million per month, benefiting around 900,000 unregistered refugees. When we talk about $300 per month received by refugees, it means that many still in Syria will fight to reach Lebanon.
Furthermore, Nidaa Al-Watan has learned that sovereign forces are taking action to address what they call the "problematic" behavior of the UNHCR. They are preparing a memorandum to address the UNHCR and donor countries, demanding the return of refugees to Syria and providing compensation for them in their homeland.
Moreover, suppose the pretexts put forward by the West prevent the return of refugees to their homes. In that case, the memorandum calls for the distribution of refugees to other countries "because Lebanon has entered a phase of collapse under the burden of the refugee crisis that has exceeded all limits," according to the information.
In a related and concerning development, the spokesperson for the European Union in the Middle East and North Africa, Luis Miguel Bueno, announced that "there is currently no return for Syrian refugees, and they must be assisted in Lebanon."
He stated, "The EU relies on the assessment conducted by specialized United Nations agencies, particularly the UNHCR." He added that based on this assessment, "the conditions for the voluntary and dignified return of refugees to Syria are not currently available."
He concluded by saying, "When we specifically talk about Lebanon, we have been supporting the Lebanese authorities and agencies for hosting these refugees for a long time."
In a related context, the Bekaa governor Kamal Abu Joudeh revealed to Nidaa Al-Watan that "according to the latest figures from the General Security Directorate, approximately four thousand establishments are being run by Syrians in the Middle and Western Bekaa. In the town of Baalbek alone, out of two thousand establishments, there are 1700 being run by Syrians, and in Taalabaya, there are 450 similar establishments, and in Qab Elias, there are 350 similar establishments."
Moreover, Abu Joudeh pointed out that "the number of these establishments has increased in a short period due to the economic crisis, the devaluation of the Lebanese currency, and the decrease in purchasing power among the Lebanese, which has led some to rent out their establishments to foreigners in foreign currency."
He also mentioned that "judicial orders have been issued and circulated to the relevant security agencies as a result of the meeting of the sub-security council on September 14th, requesting them to inspect all establishments and verify their legality, as a preliminary step to take appropriate measures, in coordination with the caretaker Interior Minister and the Social Affairs Minister."
Abu Joudeh then added that "the main obstacle facing these agencies is that many of these establishments have Lebanese individuals as the 'front,' while Syrians actually operate them."
He explained that there is a decision issued by the caretaker Minister of Labor, Moustafa Bayram, in November 2021 "that specifies the jobs that non-Lebanese are not allowed to practice, and thus security work falls within the framework of implementing this decision and the laws that prohibit foreigners from working without a residence permit and a work permit."
On the domestic level, after a committee session Tuesday, George Adwan, the head of the Administration and Justice Committee in parliament, stated that it was "entirely dedicated to the issue of the Syrian presence in Lebanon." He emphasized that "Lebanon is not a loose country or a loose homeland, although its institutions and agencies are deficient. Today, all Lebanese, whether deputies or non-deputies are called upon to stand firmly against this Syrian presence and its risks to Lebanon."
At the government level, it is expected that the caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi will hold a meeting on Wednesday with several governors, in the presence of several mayors, to follow up on the circulars related to the Syrian displacement issue.