MP Gemayel: The Syrian regime is gone, so why are the refugees still in Lebanon?
Kataeb Party leader and MP Samy Gemayel warned that Lebanon is now one of the most overcrowded countries in the world, citing the presence of over 1.7 million Syrian refugees.
Speaking at a panel during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Budapest, Hungary, Gemayel highlighted the strain this has placed on Lebanon, a country with a land area of just 10,452 square kilometers and approximately 5 million citizens. He said the refugee population amounts to nearly a 50% increase in the country's original population.
"To grasp the scale of the crisis, imagine if France received 32 million additional refugees," he said.
Gemayel noted that this situation has persisted for 12 years and argued that the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime removed the justification for Syrian refugees to remain in Lebanon.
"What is the excuse today? The regime is gone. Why are the refugees still in Lebanon?" he asked.
He called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to reassess its policies regarding the Syrian crisis, emphasizing that the top priority should be securing the refugees' return to their homeland.
Gemayel added that the issue does not concern Lebanon alone but also affects Jordan, Turkey, and several European countries.
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