The Coordinator of the Office of Refugee Affairs at the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Salim Idris, praised Lebanese MP Ashraf Rifi for expressing reason and logic regarding the recent forced deportation of Syrian refugees from Lebanon. Idris stated that Syrian refugees in Lebanon are victims of a malicious alliance between sectarian militias in Lebanon and the Assad regime.
Idris emphasized that had Hezbollah not cooperated with those who oppressed the Syrian people and had Syrians not been subjected to daily violations by the regime’s allies, they would not have left their homeland and fled to Lebanon.
Idris further noted that if the Lebanese truly want Syrian refugees to return home, they must apply pressure on the Hezbollah militia and its agents to withdraw from the towns and villages they occupy in Syria. He stated that it is illogical for Lebanese officials to call for the return of vulnerable refugees while their areas of origin are occupied by the Hezbollah militia.
On Wednesday, Lebanese MP Ashraf Rifi expressed that every Lebanese wants the safe and final return of Syrian refugees. He held the Assad regime and Hezbollah responsible for the refugee crisis and emphasized that they displaced Syrians from their land, occupied their towns and villages, and destroyed them.
Rifi added that Hezbollah must withdraw from the Syrian Qasir and Qalamoun towns and villages, allowing Syrian refugees to return home safely. He urged the international community to assist Lebanon in facilitating the safe return of Syrian refugees and stressed that the Assad regime’s allies in Lebanon are responsible for inciting hatred against Syrian refugees. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
