AOUN TO EU'S TARRAF: Lebanon Surprised by EU'S Statement on Integration of Refugees in Host Communities

08 Nov 2019

Lebanon - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, on Friday welcomed at Baabda Palace Head of the European Union Commission to Lebanon, Ambassador Ralph Tarraf, whom the President briefed on Lebanon's bewilderment with regard to the content of a joint statement issued on the 9th of October by the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Budget Committees on "the situation of Syrian refugees and the need to ensure their long-term integration and employment, in a coherent manner, within host communities."

"This situation contradicts with the repeated Lebanese calls for the return of Syrian refugees to their country, especially now that the situation has been stabilized in more than 90 percent of the Syrian territories, and due to the fact that armed confrontations have nearly subsided," Aoun said.

The President also told the EU diplomat that the process of returning Syrian refugees from Lebanon to Syria was continuing in batches, and that the number of returnees has reached 390,000 refugees, whom did not complain about any sort of pressure they had suffered after their return to their homeland.

President Aoun then pointed out that the House of Parliament had proceeded to study the draft reform laws that have been referred to it, especially with regard to dealing with many issues such as combating corruption, lifting political immunity, and holding accountable those responsible for financial waste and tax evasion within the last 20 years.

Aoun finally confirmed that the new government would work on implementing the content of the economic paper that had been approved by the outgoing government.