Derbas proposes plan for return of refugees to Syria
BEIRUT: Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas Thursday warned of the Syrian refugee presence in Lebanon creating strife among the Lebanese people, calling for a plan for their return to safe areas in Syria.
“Patience has its limits ... to handle this burden, which has no end. Lebanon, which is facing dangerous political and economic problems, could become an arena of conflict among different factions, because of the Syrian presence,” Derbas said during a Syrian donor conference in Kuwait.
Lebanon has become home to over 1.5 million Syrian refugees since the crisis erupted in 2011.
He said his country was insistent on the support of the international community, as it is facing the burden of Syrian refugees that it was not responsible for.
“As a minister, who is responsible for the most dangerous issue that Lebanon has faced...we are insistent on your support and participation,” state media quoted Derbas as saying.
He criticized the international community for spending “billions of dollars on killing Syrians” and only a small portion on helping them.
Derbas proposed a plan that would see the return of Syrians to safe areas in their country and the reconstruction of destroyed homes. Although he did not give any details of the plan, Derbas said this it would be less costly for donors.
“There are areas in Syria, that have perhaps become more or less safe...What happened in Jarablus is a positive for the future,” he added.
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Derbas proposes plan for return of refugees to Syria | News , Lebanon News | THE DAILY STAR