Salim Idris, the coordinator of the Office of Refugee Affairs in the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), commended the principled stance taken by Lebanese academics and media professionals who denounced the recent surge of racist campaigns targeting Syrian refugees in Lebanon. In a joint statement, they expressed their disapproval of forced deportation campaigns against the refugees.
Idris appreciated the academics and media professionals for acknowledging the severity of the situation that is compelling Syrian refugees to risk their lives by attempting to reach Europe by sea rather than returning to areas under the control of the Assad regime. He further emphasized that it is not the vulnerable Syrian refugees who pose a threat to Lebanon’s sovereignty, but rather the Hezbollah Militia, which operates as a state within a state and poses a grave threat to Lebanon’s sovereignty.
The joint statement by the Lebanese academics highlighted that Syrian refugees are not an armed party and do not endanger Lebanon’s borders or sovereignty. The statement underscored the need for the return of Syrian refugees to their country to be a voluntary process that is supported by influential foreign and international actors in Syria.
The Association of Muslim Scholars in Lebanon also released a proposal that called for an immediate halt to the forced deportation of Syrian refugees and urged the issuance of special cards from the UNHCR for the displaced category that cannot return.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
