Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi vowed on Monday to deport more Syrian refugees back to their homeland.
The minister said the General Security has so far deported approximately 29,000 Syrians, focusing on those with illegal papers and no security impediments to living in Syria.
“The problem of Syrian refugee must be solved, and the Syrians must return safely to their country,” said Mawlawi, noting that only around 300,000 of the 2 million Syrians currently residing in Lebanon have legal residency.
Since 2011, the civil conflict in Syria has resulted in a massive influx of refugees into Lebanon. Lebanese officials have often called on the international community to help return refugees to their homeland as the country has suffered from a deep financial crisis since 2019. ■
