President Michel Aoun met today with the Minister of International Development of Canada, Harjit Sajjan.
“Some countries’ efforts to integrate the displaced Syrians who are in Lebanon into the Lebanese society are a crime that Lebanon will not accept, no matter the cost,” Aoun said during the meeting.
“We are now suspicious of the positions taken by some countries and organizations,” he said, adding that “if the goal is to settle the displaced Syrians in Lebanon, we reject that outright, just as we previously refused to settle the Palestinians on our land.”
The Canadian Minister indicated that his country supported the return of the displaced Syrians to their home country.
Lebanon has been hosting over 1.5 million Syrian refugees who had fled the war in their country since 2011, bearing the major humanitarian burden of the Syrian refugee crisis in the world despite its small size in comparison to all other hosting countries.
With Lebanon battling through multiple crises, including the severe economic crisis, to save itself, the repatriation of the Syrian refugees has become a must.
From its side, Syria has opened the doors to welcome back its displaced citizens and help them settle in areas liberated by its army.
Related: Clashes Erupted Between Lebanese MPs Over The Syrian Refugees’ Repatriation File.
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