Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
June 22 2022
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) denounces the latest statements of the Lebanese caretaker prime minister who threatened the international community to deport Syrian refugees and blamed the refugees for the crises that Lebanon is going through. These statements showed utter disregard to the serious risks to the lives of the Syrian refugee if they are sent to the regime- held areas.
Indeed, the influence of Iran and the Hezbollah Militia on the Lebanese government and their control over its decisions are to blame of its inability to manage crises. This failure prompted the Lebanese government to use refugees as a scapegoat for its failure, even though the Hezbollah Militia is mainly responsible for the suffering of the Syrian people and their displacement.
These statements coincided with the World Refugee Day, June 20, which is marked every year with the aim of drawing the world’s attention to the plight of oppressed peoples who were forced to seek refuge in search of a safe life, away from oppression, oppression and persecution.
According to international organizations, there are 13 million Syrian refugees around the world, including 6.9 million who are internally displaced. The SOC stresses the need to uphold the rights of refugees around the world in accordance with international laws and norms so as to ensure their protection, assistance and social rights.
The SOC also stresses that in view of the crimes of the Assad regime and terrorist militias, Syria is not currently safe for the return of refugees. It warns that the forcible return of Syrian refugees will mean arrest, disappearance, and murder by the criminal regime.
It is imperative that the international community push the political process forward and implement UN resolutions, including UN Resolution 2254, to achieve a political transition that paves the way for the voluntary, dignified and safe return of refugees, and to ensure that the Assad regime is held accountable for the war crimes it is committing against the Syrian people.