Beirut: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati vowed on Friday to step up deportations as part of a crackdown on illegal residents in the country.
“This matter is not a matter of debate and orders have been given to the concerned authorities to implement what is necessary,” he said.
Mikati’s comments come after the EU on Thursday announced a €1 billion ($1.07 billion) aid package for Lebanon, primarily aimed at boosting border controls to stem the flow of refugees across the Mediterranean to Cyprus and Italy Is.
Lebanon hosts more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees.
In a television interview, Mikati said: “Any Syrian living in Lebanon illegally will be deported, and a different approach will be taken towards all registered persons compared to unregistered ones.”
While Mikati welcomed the announcement of increased European aid, some political and religious figures described the package as a “bribe” to resettle Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and warned that Lebanon was “not for sale. Is.”
Headlines in local newspapers highlight the objections, which follow a rising number of murders, thefts and kidnappings committed by Syrians who have entered Lebanon illegally in recent months.
According to Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, Syrian prisoners now make up 35 percent of Lebanon’s prison population.
Cyprus recently complained about the increasing number of boats arriving on its shores carrying Syrians traveling via Lebanon. Dozens of people are stranded on the island, which refuses to accept them as refugees and wants to return them to Lebanon.
Mikati said there is “European division” over the issue of safe areas in Syria for the return of refugees.
“We will launch a campaign in this context to put pressure on the EU to decide whether there are safe zones in Syria,” he said.
The EU package was announced when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Lebanon on Thursday with Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides.
However, Nicolas Sahnoui, a member of the Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc, said: “Keep the billions of euros, and take an extra billion euros in exchange for taking all Syrian refugees to European countries.”
Razi al-Hajj, a member of the Strong Republic Bloc, described the presence of Syrian refugees in the country as a “ticking time bomb”.
He said: “If Mikati wants to overcome Lebanese skepticism about the EU agenda in Lebanon and the government’s true intentions, he needs to start implementing his promises, which means stopping illegals living on Lebanese territory. Deport anyone with
Change Party MP Wadah Sadek said: “Those who are living in Lebanon illegally – whose numbers are significant – must be deported. “Then a just solution must be found for those who sought refuge in Lebanon out of fear of being killed or persecuted.”
Jaafari Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Kablan said in his Friday sermon: “We do not want to slaughter Lebanon with 1 billion poisoned euros.
“Europe is Washington’s partner in the catastrophe in Syria and the siege of Lebanon. I warn those in charge against playing the role of Europe’s security and political savior. The issue of Syrian refugees needs an urgent solution. “We are running out of time and our country’s demography, stability, security, economy and livelihoods are at risk.”
Maroun al-Khawali of the National Campaign for the Return of Syrian Refugees said: “Lebanon will not be for sale under any circumstances.”
He said the aid package was “an insulting deal to Lebanon’s dignity and sovereignty, and a black spot in the history of the caretaker government.”
Shia cleric Ali Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah said in his Friday sermon: “When it comes to the Syrian refugee file the EU resorts to the financial aspect to persuade the Lebanese people.
“However, this matter is not limited to the financial dimension. This requires us to address its root causes and manage the Syrian presence in a way that does not cause any internal influence, anxiety and tension that could affect relations between Lebanese and Syrian refugees.
“The policy of European countries ensures that boats carrying Syrian refugees do not reach their shores,” the Progress Party said in a statement. That’s why they offered Lebanon 1 billion euros to compensate for their presence in the country.
“The governance system accepted bribes to recycle itself at the expense of growing crises without organizing this file.”
The party proposed setting up camps for Syrian refugees on the border and meeting their needs through international support.