A petition called “
Syrian refugees to leave Lebanon and return to safe zones in Syria
” was created onchange.org. It asks international organizations to help Lebanon to relocate Syrian refugees into safe zones in Syria. “Lebanese are known for their hospitality. However, in this instance, we regrettably announce that it is not within our capacity to have refugees in Lebanon. How can we invite a beloved guest to our house when we don’t even have enough to feed our own children?!” There are currently 2 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, in addition to over half a million Palestinian refugees. A small country with an infrastructure that cannot support many people, Lebanon’s situation will get worse if refugees keep coming. Furthermore, the unemployment rate of Lebanese people is increasing, making them leave their homeland to find job opportunities abroad.
Last month, Ghassan Hasbani participated in a panel discussion organized by the World Bank. The name of the panel was:“Addressing Refugee Crises in Middle-Income Countries: Lessons Learned”.
During his speech, Hasbani mentioned that the percentage of refugees in Lebanon is the highest per capita in the world, which constitutes 30 to 40% of the population. Expecting Lebanon to secure jobs, feed and provide services to refugees is a “virtual impossibility”
